depress

/dɪˈpɹɛs/

//dɪˈpɹɛs// verb

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

"depress" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“depress” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,464 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#34,464
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To press down.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

depress vs dress
71% similar
depress vs duress
71% similar
depress vs digress
71% similar

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

Key facts for depress
PropertyValue
Headworddepress
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈpɹɛs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#34,464
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “depress” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for depress is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈpɹɛs/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,464 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for depress, with forms such as "ddepress", "deperss", and "deppress". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "dress", "duress", "digress", 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 Middle English depressen, from Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus, perfect participle of dēprimō (“to press down, to weigh down”), from dē- (“off, away, down, out”) + premō (“to press”). The correct English form is depress, spelled D-E-P-R-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    To press down.
  2. 2
    To make depressed, sad or bored.
  3. 3
    To cause a depression or a decrease in parts of the economy.
  4. 4
    To bring down or humble; to abase (pride, etc.).
  5. 5
    To reduce (an equation) in a lower degree.

Etymology

From Middle English depressen, from Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus, perfect participle of dēprimō (“to press down, to weigh down”), from dē- (“off, away, down, out”) + premō (“to press”).

This word in other languages

deprimir(Español)appuyer(Français)deprimieren(Deutsch)pressionar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddepress,deperss,deppress,depres,deprress,deprses,derpess,dperess,edpress

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddepress1deperss2deppress1depres1deprress1deprses2derpess2dperess2
Edit distance from "depress"

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 "depress"?
"depress" is spelled D-E-P-R-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈpɹɛs/.
What does "depress" mean?
As a verb, "depress" means: To press down.
What words are commonly confused with "depress"?
"depress" is commonly confused with "dress", "duress", "digress". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "depress"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "depress" is /dɪˈpɹɛs/. 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 "depress"?
From Middle English depressen, from Old French depresser, from Latin dēpressus, perfect participle of dēprimō (“to press down, to weigh down”), from dē- (“off, away, down, out”) + premō (“to press”). 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.

Using “depress”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-P-R-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈpɹɛs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dress” - see the side-by-side comparison. depress vs dress
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list