deflection

/dɪˈflɛkʃən/

//dɪˈflɛkʃən// noun

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

"deflection" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deflection” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,772 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,772
frequency rank, English
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of deflecting or something deflected.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

deflection vs deletion
80% similar
deflection vs detection
80% similar
deflection vs depletion
80% similar

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

Key facts for deflection
PropertyValue
Headworddeflection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈflɛkʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#21,772
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deflection” 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). deflection 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 deflection is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈflɛkʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,772 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for deflection, with forms such as "ddeflection", "defelction", and "defflection". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "deletion", "detection", "depletion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin dēflexiō, from dēflectere (“to deflect”; participle stem dēflex-) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns). The non-etymological spelling deflection is taken from the present stem dēflect-, associated with collection, dissection, etc. By surface ana… The correct English form is deflection, spelled D-E-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of deflecting or something deflected.
  2. 2
    Deviation (of a needle or other indicator or mechanism) from a previous position.
  3. 3
    The act of refusing to address something (questions, criticism, etc.).
  4. 4
    The act of rejecting culpability by redirecting blame elsewhere.
  5. 5
    Bending or deformation under load.
  6. 6
    A tactic that forces an opposing piece to leave the square, rank or file it occupies, thus exposing the king or a valuable piece

Etymology

From Latin dēflexiō, from dēflectere (“to deflect”; participle stem dēflex-) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns). The non-etymological spelling deflection is taken from the present stem dēflect-, associated with collection, dissection, etc. By surface analysis, deflect + -ion.

This word in other languages

deflexión(Español)déflexion(Français)Ablenkung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeflection,defelction,defflection,deflcetion,deflecction,defleciton,deflecsion,deflectino,deflectionn,deflectoin,deflecttion,defletcion,defllection,delfection,dfelection,edflection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddeflection1defelction2defflection1deflcetion2deflecction1defleciton2deflecsion1deflectino2
Edit distance from "deflection"

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 "deflection"?
"deflection" is spelled D-E-F-L-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈflɛkʃən/.
What does "deflection" mean?
As a noun, "deflection" means: The act of deflecting or something deflected.
What words are commonly confused with "deflection"?
"deflection" is commonly confused with "deletion", "detection", "depletion". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deflection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deflection" is /dɪˈflɛkʃən/. 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 "deflection"?
From Latin dēflexiō, from dēflectere (“to deflect”; participle stem dēflex-) + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns). The non-etymological spelling deflection is taken from the present stem dēflect-, associated with collection, dissection, etc. By s... 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 “deflection”

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

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