defraud
/dɪˈfɹɔːd/
"defraud" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“defraud” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,852 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #34,852
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | defraud |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /dɪˈfɹɔːd/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #34,852 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “defraud” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for defraud is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈfɹɔːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,852 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 defraud, with forms such as "ddefraud", "defarud", and "deffraud". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder. The correct English form is defraud, spelled D-E-F-R-A-U-D.
Definition
- 1To obtain money or property from (a person) by fraud; to swindle.
- 2To deprive.
Etymology
From Middle English defrauden, from Old French defrauder, from de- + frauder.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddefraud,defarud,deffraud,defradu,defraudd,defrraud,defruad,derfaud,dferaud,edfraud
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defraud - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “defraud”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-R-A-U-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈfɹɔːd/ (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.