deputy

/ˈdɛpjəti/

//ˈdɛpjəti// noun

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

"deputy" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deputy” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,726. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,726
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One appointed as the substitute of others, and empowered to act for them, in their name or their behalf; a substitute in office.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deputy · deputy · English

deputy · rank #2,726 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,726
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH depth

Nearest frequency peer: depth (-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 “deputy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “deputy” 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).

deputy vs duty
67% similar
deputy vs depth
67% similar
deputy vs debut
67% similar

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

Key facts for deputy
PropertyValue
Headworddeputy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɛpjəti/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,726
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “deputy”

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).deputylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “depth” (#2,725), “dirty” (#2,727), “deliver” (#2,724). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deputy” is #2,726. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around deputy (IPA /ˈdɛpjəti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #2,726 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for deputy, with forms such as "ddeputy", "depputy", and "deptuy". 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, "duty", "depth", "debut", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”). The correct English form is deputy, spelled D-E-P-U-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    One appointed as the substitute of others, and empowered to act for them, in their name or their behalf; a substitute in office.
  2. 2
    A person employed to install and remove props, brattices, etc. and to clear gas, for the safety of the miners.
  3. 3
    The name for a member of legislature in some countries.
  4. 4
    The name for a member of legislature in some countries.
  5. 5
    The name for a member of legislature in some countries.
  6. 6
    The name for a member of legislature in some countries.
  7. 7
    a law enforcement officer who works for the county sheriff's office; a deputy sheriff or sheriff's deputy; the entry level rank in such an agency.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. the deputy of a prince
  2. The deputy sheriff was promoted after his senior retired.

Etymology

From French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”).

Synonyms

substituterepresentativelegatedelegateenvoyagentdeputyemissarylieutenantproxysecondarysurrogate

Antonyms

clientprincipal

This word in other languages

suplente(Español)adjoint(Français)Stellvertreter(Deutsch)deputado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddeputy
  • depputy
  • deptuy
  • deputty
  • deputyy
  • depuyt
  • deupty
  • dpeuty
  • edputy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deputy - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddeputy1depputy1deptuy2deputty1deputyy1depuyt2deupty2dpeuty2
Edit distance from "deputy"

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 "deputy"?
"deputy" is spelled D-E-P-U-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛpjəti/.
What does "deputy" mean?
As a noun, "deputy" means: One appointed as the substitute of others, and empowered to act for them, in their name or their behalf; a substitute in office.
What words are commonly confused with "deputy"?
"deputy" is commonly confused with "duty", "depth", "debut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deputy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deputy" is /ˈdɛpjəti/. 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 "deputy"?
From French député, from Late Latin deputatus (“appointed”). 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 "deputy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

earned#2,729circle#2,720carbon#2,717headed#2,736

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

agents9 variantsvictim9 variantsnearby9 variantsturkey9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list