delinquency

/dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/

//dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“delinquency” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,950. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,950
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Misconduct.

Corpus desk

Index EN-delinquency · delinquency · English

delinquency · rank #31,950 · 17 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #31,950
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Delilah

Nearest frequency peer: Delilah (-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 “delinquency”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “delinquency” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

delinquency vs delinquent
82% similar

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

Key facts for delinquency
PropertyValue
Headworddelinquency
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/
Letters11
Frequency rank#31,950
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “delinquency”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).delinquencylands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Delilah” (#31,949), “denominated” (#31,951), “dearth” (#31,948). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “delinquency” is #31,950. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around delinquency (IPA /dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,950 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for delinquency, with forms such as "ddelinquency", "deilnquency", and "delinnquency". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "delinquent", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin dēlinquentia, derived from Latin dēlinquēns, present participle of dēlinquō (“I transgress, err”). By surface analysis, delinquent + -cy The correct English form is delinquency, spelled D-E-L-I-N-Q-U-E-N-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Misconduct.
  2. 2
    A criminal offense.
  3. 3
    A debt that is overdue for payment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquencies increased in the first quarter of 2023, according to a new report from the Mortgage Bankers Association. […] The quarterly analysis looks at delinquency rates for five of the largest investor groups: FDIC-insured banks and thrifts, commercial mortgage-backed securities, life insurance companies, and Fannie…

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin dēlinquentia, derived from Latin dēlinquēns, present participle of dēlinquō (“I transgress, err”). By surface analysis, delinquent + -cy

This word in other languages

delincuencia(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddelinquency
  • deilnquency
  • delinnquency
  • delinqeuncy
  • delinqquency
  • delinquecny
  • delinquenccy
  • delinquencyy
  • delinquenncy
  • delinquenyc
  • delinqunecy
  • delinuqency
  • deliqnuency
  • dellinquency
  • delniquency
  • dleinquency
  • edlinquency

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddelinquency1deilnquency2delinnquency1delinqeuncy2delinqquency1delinquecny2delinquenccy1delinquencyy1
Edit distance from "delinquency"

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 "delinquency"?
"delinquency" is spelled D-E-L-I-N-Q-U-E-N-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/.
What does "delinquency" mean?
As a noun, "delinquency" means: Misconduct.
What words are commonly confused with "delinquency"?
"delinquency" is commonly confused with "delinquent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "delinquency"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "delinquency" is /dɪˈlɪŋkwənsi/. 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 "delinquency"?
Borrowed from Late Latin dēlinquentia, derived from Latin dēlinquēns, present participle of dēlinquō (“I transgress, err”). By surface analysis, delinquent + -cy 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 "delinquency", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

denominated#31,951Deutschland#31,952corroborate#31,937ejaculation#31,964

Similar misspelling depth

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

conceptually17 variantsconcealment17 variantschurchyard17 variantsforefathers17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list