describe

/dɪˈskɹaɪb/

//dɪˈskɹaɪb// verb

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

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

The verdict

“describe” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,671. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,671
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To represent in words.

Corpus desk

Index EN-describe · describe · English

describe · rank #2,671 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,671
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH depression

Nearest frequency peer: depression (-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 “describe”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “describe” 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).

describe vs described
89% similar
describe vs describes
89% similar

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

Key facts for describe
PropertyValue
Headworddescribe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈskɹaɪb/
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,671
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “describe”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “depression” (#2,670), “Drivers” (#2,672), “depending” (#2,669). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “describe” is #2,671. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around describe (IPA /dɪˈskɹaɪb/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,671 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for describe, with forms such as "ddescribe", "decsribe", and "desccribe". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "described", "describes", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (“to copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing”), from dē (“off”) + scrībō (“write”); see scribe and shrive. Displaced native Old English āmearcian. The correct English form is describe, spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-B-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To represent in words.
  2. 2
    To represent by drawing; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out.
  3. 3
    To give rise to a geometrical structure.
  4. 4
    To introduce a new taxon to science by explaining its characteristics and particularly how it differs from other taxa.
  5. 5
    To distribute into parts, groups, or classes; to mark off; to class.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The feeling is difficult to describe, but not unpleasant.
  2. The geographer describes countries and cities.

Etymology

From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (“to copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing”), from dē (“off”) + scrībō (“write”); see scribe and shrive. Displaced native Old English āmearcian.

Synonyms

portraybetelldepictreportbewritedelineatedescribedrawchronicleexplainnarraterecountrelaterepresentset forthstate

Antonyms

burlesquecaricaturedistortexaggeratemisrepresent

This word in other languages

describir(Español)décrire(Français)beschreiben(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddescribe
  • decsribe
  • desccribe
  • descirbe
  • descrbie
  • describbe
  • descrieb
  • descrribe
  • desrcibe
  • desscribe
  • dsecribe
  • edscribe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddescribe1decsribe2desccribe1descirbe2descrbie2describbe1descrieb2descrribe1
Edit distance from "describe"

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 "describe"?
"describe" is spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-B-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈskɹaɪb/.
What does "describe" mean?
As a verb, "describe" means: To represent in words.
What words are commonly confused with "describe"?
"describe" is commonly confused with "described", "describes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "describe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "describe" is /dɪˈskɹaɪb/. 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 "describe"?
From Middle English descriven, from Old French descrivre, from Latin dēscrībō (“to copy off, transcribe, sketch off, describe in painting or writing”), from dē (“off”) + scrībō (“write”); see scribe and shrive. Displaced native Old English āmearcian. 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 "describe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

creation#2,664consumer#2,662identify#2,682partners#2,690

Similar misspelling depth

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

hopefully12 variantspersonnel12 variantsprogramme12 variantssleeping12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list