defuse
/diːˈfjuːz/
"defuse" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“defuse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,609 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #33,609
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 16
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To remove the fuse from (e.g. a bomb).
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | defuse |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /diːˈfjuːz/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #33,609 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 16 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “defuse” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for defuse is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /diːˈfjuːz/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,609 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for defuse, with forms such as "ddefuse", "deffuse", and "defsue". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "dense", "deuce", "douse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From de- + fuse. The correct English form is defuse, spelled D-E-F-U-S-E.
Definition
- 1To remove the fuse from (e.g. a bomb).
- 2To make less dangerous, tense, or hostile.
Etymology
From de- + fuse.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddefuse,deffuse,defsue,defues,defusse,deufse,dfeuse,edfuse
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of defuse - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 “defuse”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-F-U-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /diːˈfjuːz/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “dense” - see the side-by-side comparison. defuse vs dense
- 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.