derision

/dɪˈɹɪʒən/

//dɪˈɹɪʒən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“derision” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,955. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,955
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Act of treating with disdain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-derision · derision · English

derision · rank #36,955 · 12 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,955
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dermal

Nearest frequency peer: dermal (+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 “derision”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “derision” 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).

derision vs division
75% similar
derision vs Denison
63% similar
derision vs decision
88% similar

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

Key facts for derision
PropertyValue
Headwordderision
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈɹɪʒən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#36,955
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “derision”

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).derisionlands 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 “dermal” (#36,956), “Demetrius” (#36,953), “destabilize” (#36,957). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “derision” is #36,955. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around derision (IPA /dɪˈɹɪʒən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,955 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for derision, with forms such as "dderision", "deirsion", and "deriison". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "division", "Denison", "decision", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French derision, from Latin dērīsiōnem, accusative of dērīsiō, from dērīdēre ("to mock, to laugh at, to deride"). The correct English form is derision, spelled D-E-R-I-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Act of treating with disdain.
  2. 2
    Something to be derided; a laughing stock.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There was just a touch of derision in the Don's voice and Hagen flushed.
  2. One of the darlings of the early vegetarian movement (particularly in its even sadder form, the cutlet), it was on the menu at John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium [sic], and has since become the default Sunday option for vegetarians – and a default source of derision for everyone else.

Etymology

From Old French derision, from Latin dērīsiōnem, accusative of dērīsiō, from dērīdēre ("to mock, to laugh at, to deride").

This word in other languages

irrisión(Español)dérision(Français)Hohn(Deutsch)menosprezo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dderision
  • deirsion
  • deriison
  • derisino
  • derisionn
  • derisoin
  • derission
  • derition
  • derrision
  • dersiion
  • dreision
  • edrision

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dderision1deirsion2deriison2derisino2derisionn1derisoin2derission1derition1
Edit distance from "derision"

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 "derision"?
"derision" is spelled D-E-R-I-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈɹɪʒən/.
What does "derision" mean?
As a noun, "derision" means: Act of treating with disdain.
What words are commonly confused with "derision"?
"derision" is commonly confused with "division", "Denison", "decision". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "derision"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "derision" is /dɪˈɹɪʒən/. 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 "derision"?
From Old French derision, from Latin dērīsiōnem, accusative of dērīsiō, from dērīdēre ("to mock, to laugh at, to deride"). 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 "derision", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dressage#36,965creatine#36,942creaking#36,941Courtois#36,937

Similar misspelling depth

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

Concorde12 variantsgreening12 variantsgreenway12 variantsGretzky12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list