description

/dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/

//dɪˈskɹɪpʃən// noun

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

"description" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“description” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,894. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,894
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
18
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.

Corpus desk

Index EN-description · description · English

description · rank #1,894 · 18 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,894
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH democratic

Nearest frequency peer: democratic (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “description”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “description” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

description vs descriptor
82% similar
description vs descriptive
82% similar
description vs decryption
82% similar

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

Key facts for description
PropertyValue
Headworddescription
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#1,894
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “description” 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). description lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around description (IPA /dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,894 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for description, with forms such as "ddescription", "decsription", and "desccription". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "descriptor", "descriptive", "decryption", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English descripcioun, from Old French description and its etymon, Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“to describe”). Equivalent to describe + -tion. The correct English form is description, spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
  2. 2
    The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs.
  3. 3
    A set of characteristics by which someone or something can be recognized.
  4. 4
    A scientific documentation of a taxon for the purpose of introducing it to science.
  5. 5
    The act or practice of recording and describing actual language usage in a given speech community, as opposed to prescription, i.e. laying down norms of language usage.
  6. 6
    A descriptive linguistic survey.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. give a verbal description of the events
  2. a realistic description

Etymology

From Middle English descripcioun, from Old French description and its etymon, Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“to describe”). Equivalent to describe + -tion.

Synonyms

sortkindtypevariety

This word in other languages

descripción(Español)description(Français)Beschreibung(Deutsch)descrição(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddescription
  • decsription
  • desccription
  • descirption
  • descripiton
  • descripption
  • descripsion
  • descriptino
  • descriptionn
  • descriptoin
  • descripttion
  • descritpion
  • descrpition
  • descrription
  • desrciption
  • desscription
  • dsecription
  • edscription

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddescription1decsription2desccription1descirption2descripiton2descripption1descripsion1descriptino2
Edit distance from "description"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "description"?
"description" is spelled D-E-S-C-R-I-P-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/.
What does "description" mean?
As a noun, "description" means: A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species.
What words are commonly confused with "description"?
"description" is commonly confused with "descriptor", "descriptive", "decryption". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "description"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "description" is /dɪˈskɹɪpʃən/. 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 "description"?
From Middle English descripcioun, from Old French description and its etymon, Latin dēscrīptiō, noun of action of dēscrībō (“to describe”). Equivalent to describe + -tion. 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 "description", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

alternative#1,981communities#1,991engineering#1,659appropriate#2,145

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

communication18 variantscomfortable18 variantsapproximately18 variantsrequirements18 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "description". Here's where to go from here.

  • "description" maps to 3 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "descriptor". View pair
  • 18 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,894 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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