deflect
/dɪˈflɛkt/verb
deflect is spelled D-E-F-L-E-C-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, deflect means “To make (something) deviate from its original path or position” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in deflect?
| Letters | 7: D-E-F-L-E-C-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 23,253rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is deflect?
Deflect appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce deflect?
- UK /dɪˈflɛkt/
Deflect has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-deflect.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with deflect?
5 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as deflect from its last stressed vowel (/ɛkt/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of deflect
- deflects present, singular, he/she/it
- deflecting participle, present
- deflected participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does deflect mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To make (something) deviate from its original path or position.
- 2
To touch the ball, often unwittingly, after a shot or a sharp pass, thereby making it unpredictable for the other players.
The defender deflected the cross into his own net.
- 3
To deviate from an original path or position.
- 4
To avoid addressing (questions, criticism, etc.).
The Prime Minister deflected some increasingly pointed questions by claiming he had an appointment.
- 5
To divert (attention, etc.).
- 6
To redirect culpability to avoid it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Deflect in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | détourner , dévier |
| German | ablenken , ausweichen, abweichen , abfälschen, abwehren |
| Spanish | desviar, rebatir, deflejar, deflexionar, deflectar |
| Portuguese | desviar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does deflect come from?
From Latin deflecto, from de- (“away”) + flecto (“to bend”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).