deep state
/ˈdiːp ˈsteɪt/
"deep-state" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“deep state” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large group of people, typically members of government agencies and the military, believed to have enduring political influence that is difficult for an administration that is voted into power to...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | deep state |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdiːp ˈsteɪt/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “deep state” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
deep state is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdiːp ˈsteɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A large group of people, typically members of government agencies and the military, believed to have enduring political influence that is difficult for an administration that is voted into power to...".
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for deep state, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: A calque of Turkish derin devlet (“deep state”). Early uses were in relation to Turkey, especially the 1996 Susurluk scandal. The correct English form is deep state, spelled D-E-E-P- -S-T-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1A large group of people, typically members of government agencies and the military, believed to have enduring political influence that is difficult for an administration that is voted into power to counter or dislodge.
Etymology
A calque of Turkish derin devlet (“deep state”). Early uses were in relation to Turkey, especially the 1996 Susurluk scandal.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “deep state”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-E-P- -S-T-A-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdiːp ˈsteɪt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.