despicable

/dɪˈspɪkəbəl/

//dɪˈspɪkəbəl// adj

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

"despicable" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“despicable” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,796. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,796
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean.

Corpus desk

Index EN-despicable · despicable · English

despicable · rank #15,796 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #15,796
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deduction

Nearest frequency peer: deduction (-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 “despicable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “despicable” 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).

despicable vs desirable
80% similar

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

Key facts for despicable
PropertyValue
Headworddespicable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈspɪkəbəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#15,796
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “despicable”

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).despicablelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “deduction” (#15,795), “detachment” (#15,797), “Cummings” (#15,793). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “despicable” is #15,796. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around despicable (IPA /dɪˈspɪkəbəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #15,796 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for despicable, with forms such as "ddespicable", "depsicable", and "desipcable". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "desirable", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin dēspicābilis, from Latin dēspicor, a variant of dēspiciō (“to despise”), from de (“down”) + speciō (“to look at, behold”). First attested in the 1550s. Equivalent to despise + -able. The correct English form is despicable, spelled D-E-S-P-I-C-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The physical penis is consumed by despicable fish, animals of the turgid depths, but the higher phallus, the image of resurrection through the goddess, is fashioned as a sacred icon.

Etymology

From Late Latin dēspicābilis, from Latin dēspicor, a variant of dēspiciō (“to despise”), from de (“down”) + speciō (“to look at, behold”). First attested in the 1550s. Equivalent to despise + -able.

Synonyms

abjectfilthybasebeggarlyblameworthycarrioncheapcontemptiblecringingdamnablededecorousdegradeddeplorablederidablederisibledespicabledespisabledirtydiscreditabledisdainabledisgracefuldishonorabledisreputableexecrablegrovelingignobleignominiousingloriouslamelaughableloathsomeludicrouslowmeanmean-spiritedmiserableobsceneoutrageouspitiablepitifulplebeianpaltryputridreprehensiblereprehensivereptilereptilianreptitiousridiculousrisibleroynishscaldscornworthyscummyscurvyshabbyshamefulsleazyslavishslimysordidsorrytrashyuglyuncommendableuncoolunmentionableunwashedunsophisticatedunworthyvilevulgarweakworthlesswretched

Antonyms

honorableesteemednoblerespectablevalued

This word in other languages

desdeñable(Español)abject(Français)verachtenswert(Deutsch)desprezível(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddespicable
  • depsicable
  • desipcable
  • despciable
  • despiacble
  • despicabble
  • despicabel
  • despicablle
  • despicalbe
  • despicbale
  • despiccable
  • despicible
  • desppicable
  • desspicable
  • dsepicable
  • edspicable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddespicable1depsicable2desipcable2despciable2despiacble2despicabble1despicabel2despicablle1
Edit distance from "despicable"

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 "despicable"?
"despicable" is spelled D-E-S-P-I-C-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈspɪkəbəl/.
What does "despicable" mean?
As an adjective, "despicable" means: Fit or deserving to be despised; contemptible; mean.
What words are commonly confused with "despicable"?
"despicable" is commonly confused with "desirable". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "despicable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "despicable" is /dɪˈspɪkəbəl/. 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 "despicable"?
From Late Latin dēspicābilis, from Latin dēspicor, a variant of dēspiciō (“to despise”), from de (“down”) + speciō (“to look at, behold”). First attested in the 1550s. Equivalent to despise + -able. 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 "despicable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

detachment#15,797disclaimer#15,802disconnect#15,803disruptive#15,805

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

brilliantly16 variantshumiliating16 variantsaccelerating16 variantsSutherland16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list