demented

/dɪˈmɛntɪd/

//dɪˈmɛntɪd// adj

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

"demented" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“demented” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,998. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,998
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Insane; mentally ill.

Corpus desk

Index EN-demented · demented · English

demented · rank #29,998 · 12 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,998
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deen

Nearest frequency peer: deen (-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 “demented”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “demented” 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).

demented vs dented
75% similar
demented vs detected
75% similar
demented vs dementia
75% similar

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

Key facts for demented
PropertyValue
Headworddemented
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈmɛntɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,998
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “demented”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dementedlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “deen” (#29,997), “Denzel” (#29,999), “deduce” (#29,996). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “demented” is #29,998. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around demented (IPA /dɪˈmɛntɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #29,998 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for demented, with forms such as "ddemented", "deemnted", and "demenetd". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "dented", "detected", "dementia", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Past participle of dement + -ed, from Latin dēmentāre. The correct English form is demented, spelled D-E-M-E-N-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Insane; mentally ill.
  2. 2
    Having dementia.
  3. 3
    Crazy; ridiculous.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. So while Ralph generally seems to inhabit a different, more glorious and joyful universe than everyone else here his yearning and heartbreak are eminently relateable. Ralph sometimes appears to be a magically demented sprite who has assumed the form of a boy, but he’s never been more poignantly, nakedly, movingly human than he is here.
  2. a demented idea

Etymology

Past participle of dement + -ed, from Latin dēmentāre.

This word in other languages

demente(Español)dément(Français)wahnsinnig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddemented
  • deemnted
  • demenetd
  • demennted
  • dementde
  • dementedd
  • dementted
  • demetned
  • demmented
  • demneted
  • dmeented
  • edmented

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddemented1deemnted2demenetd2demennted1dementde2dementedd1dementted1demetned2
Edit distance from "demented"

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 "demented"?
"demented" is spelled D-E-M-E-N-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈmɛntɪd/.
What does "demented" mean?
As an adjective, "demented" means: Insane; mentally ill.
What words are commonly confused with "demented"?
"demented" is commonly confused with "dented", "detected", "dementia". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "demented"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "demented" is /dɪˈmɛntɪd/. 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 "demented"?
Past participle of dement + -ed, from Latin dēmentāre. 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 "demented", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deathbed#29,993deadlock#29,992displace#30,005codified#29,973

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

equalizer12 variantscataract12 variantsfanciful12 variantsCambrian12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list