deflate

/diːˈfleɪt/

//diːˈfleɪt// verb

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

"deflate" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deflate” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,415 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#46,415
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To remove air or some other gas from within an elastic container, e.g. a balloon or tyre.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

deflate vs delete
71% similar
deflate vs deviate
71% similar
deflate vs deplete
71% similar

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

Key facts for deflate
PropertyValue
Headworddeflate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/diːˈfleɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#46,415
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deflate” 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). deflate 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 deflate is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /diːˈfleɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,415 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for deflate, with forms such as "ddeflate", "defalte", and "defflate". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "delete", "deviate", "deplete", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + (in)flate. Coined in 1891, in reference to balloons. Equivalent to Latin dē- (“away, from”) + Latin flō (“blow”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix). The correct English form is deflate, spelled D-E-F-L-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To remove air or some other gas from within an elastic container, e.g. a balloon or tyre.
  2. 2
    To cause an object to decrease or become smaller in some parameter, e.g. to shrink
  3. 3
    To reduce the amount of available currency or credit and thus lower prices.
  4. 4
    To become deflated.
  5. 5
    To let (someone) down, disappoint them, or put them in their place.
  6. 6
    To compress (data) according to a particular algorithm.
  7. 7
    To belch or flatulate

Etymology

From de- + (in)flate. Coined in 1891, in reference to balloons. Equivalent to Latin dē- (“away, from”) + Latin flō (“blow”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix).

Antonyms

inflate

This word in other languages

desinflar(Español)dégonfler(Français)entleeren(Deutsch)murchar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeflate,defalte,defflate,deflaet,deflatte,defllate,defltae,delfate,dfelate,edflate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deflate - 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.

ddeflate1defalte2defflate1deflaet2deflatte1defllate1defltae2delfate2
Edit distance from "deflate"

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 "deflate"?
"deflate" is spelled D-E-F-L-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /diːˈfleɪt/.
What does "deflate" mean?
As a verb, "deflate" means: To remove air or some other gas from within an elastic container, e.g. a balloon or tyre.
What words are commonly confused with "deflate"?
"deflate" is commonly confused with "delete", "deviate", "deplete". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deflate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deflate" is /diːˈfleɪt/. 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 "deflate"?
From de- + (in)flate. Coined in 1891, in reference to balloons. Equivalent to Latin dē- (“away, from”) + Latin flō (“blow”) + -ate (verb-forming suffix). 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 “deflate”

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

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