defer

/dɪˈfɜː/

//dɪˈfɜː// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"defer" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“defer” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,343 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#22,343
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To delay or postpone.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

defer vs der
60% similar
defer vs defy
60% similar
defer vs dyer
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for defer
PropertyValue
Headworddefer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈfɜː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#22,343
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “defer” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). defer lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for defer is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈfɜː/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,343 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for defer, with forms such as "ddefer", "deefr", and "deferr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "der", "defy", "dyer", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as wel… The correct English form is defer, spelled D-E-F-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To delay or postpone.
  2. 2
    To delay or postpone.
  3. 3
    After winning the opening coin toss, to postpone until the start of the second half a team's choice of whether to kick off or receive (and to allow the opposing team to make this choice at the start of the first half).
  4. 4
    To delay, to wait.

Etymology

Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and refer as well as prelate and prefer among others.

This word in other languages

diferir(Español)différer(Français)aufschieben(Deutsch)adiar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddefer,deefr,deferr,deffer,defre,dfeer,edfer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defer - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddefer1deefr2deferr1deffer1defre2dfeer2edfer2
Edit distance from "defer"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "defer"?
"defer" is spelled D-E-F-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈfɜː/.
What does "defer" mean?
As a verb, "defer" means: To delay or postpone.
What words are commonly confused with "defer"?
"defer" is commonly confused with "der", "defy", "dyer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "defer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "defer" is /dɪˈfɜː/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "defer"?
Originally a variant of (and hence a doublet of) differ; from Middle English differren (“to postpone”), from Old French differer, from Latin differō. Doublet of differ and dilate. See also infer, collate and confer, delate and defer, relate and re... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “defer”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈfɜː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “der” - see the side-by-side comparison. defer vs der
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list