degradation

/ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/

//ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən// noun

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

"degradation" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“degradation” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,955. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,955
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society

Corpus desk

Index EN-degradation · degradation · English

degradation · rank #12,955 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,955
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH debated

Nearest frequency peer: debated (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “degradation”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “degradation” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for degradation
PropertyValue
Headworddegradation
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#12,955
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “degradation”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).degradationlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “debated” (#12,954), “curly” (#12,953), “dexter” (#12,957). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “degradation” is #12,955. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around degradation (IPA /ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,955 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for degradation, with forms such as "ddegradation", "degardation", and "deggradation". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French dégradation. Morphologically degrade + -ation. The correct English form is degradation, spelled D-E-G-R-A-D-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society
  2. 2
    The state of being reduced in rank, character, or reputation; baseness; moral, physical, or intellectual degeneracy; disgrace; abasement; debasement.
  3. 3
    Diminution or reduction of strength, efficacy, or value; degeneration; deterioration.
  4. 4
    A gradual wearing down or wasting, as of rocks and banks, by the action of water, frost etc.
  5. 5
    A deleterious change in the chemical structure, physical properties or appearance of a material from natural or artificial exposure.
  6. 6
    The state or condition of a species or group which exhibits degraded forms; degeneration.
  7. 7
    Arrest of development, or degeneration of any organ, or of the body as a whole.
  8. 8
    The gradual breakdown of components of a material, as a result of a natural element, i.e.: heat, cold and wind.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how degradation appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. This feature of good organization, the conferring of definite local superior rank, and the protection of the incumbent from unnecessary degradation, was discovered centuries ago by another effective institution, the Catholic church.
  2. There will be no poverty. All work will be done by living machines. Everybody will be free from worry and liberated from the degradation of labor. Everybody will live only to perfect himself.

Etymology

From French dégradation. Morphologically degrade + -ation.

This word in other languages

dégradation(Français)Degradierung(Deutsch)declínio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddegradation
  • degardation
  • deggradation
  • degraadtion
  • degradaiton
  • degradasion
  • degradatino
  • degradationn
  • degradatoin
  • degradattion
  • degraddation
  • degradtaion
  • degrdaation
  • degrradation
  • dergadation
  • dgeradation
  • edgradation

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddegradation1degardation2deggradation1degraadtion2degradaiton2degradasion1degradatino2degradationn1
Edit distance from "degradation"

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 "degradation"?
"degradation" is spelled D-E-G-R-A-D-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/.
What does "degradation" mean?
As a noun, "degradation" means: The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society
What are common misspellings of "degradation"?
Common misspellings include "ddegradation", "degardation", "deggradation", "degraadtion", "degradaiton". The correct spelling is "degradation".
How do you pronounce "degradation"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "degradation" is /ˌdɛɡɹəˈdeɪʃən/. 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 "degradation"?
From French dégradation. Morphologically degrade + -ation. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "degradation", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

equilibrium#12,967intercourse#12,997segregation#13,057reminiscent#12,847

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

gymnastics17 variantsunidentified17 variantspremiership17 variantsventilation17 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list