detailing

noun

"detailing" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“detailing” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,576 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,576
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thorough description or explanation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

detailing vs detaining
89% similar
detailing vs dealing
78% similar

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

Key facts for detailing
PropertyValue
Headworddetailing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#12,576
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “detailing” 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). detailing lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for detailing is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #12,576 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for detailing, with forms such as "ddetailing", "deatiling", and "detaiilng". 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, "detaining", "dealing", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct English form is detailing, spelled D-E-T-A-I-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thorough description or explanation.
  2. 2
    An assignment to someone to undertake a particular task.
  3. 3
    An ornamentation or decoration on something that has been constructed.
  4. 4
    A careful and thorough cleaning and refurbishing of an automobile, aircraft, boat, etc.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddetailing,deatiling,detaiilng,detailign,detailingg,detailinng,detailling,detailnig,detaliing,detialing,dettailing,dteailing,edtailing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetailing1deatiling2detaiilng2detailign2detailingg1detailinng1detailling1detailnig2
Edit distance from "detailing"

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 "detailing"?
"detailing" is spelled D-E-T-A-I-L-I-N-G.
What does "detailing" mean?
As a noun, "detailing" means: A thorough description or explanation.
What words are commonly confused with "detailing"?
"detailing" is commonly confused with "detaining", "dealing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What language does "detailing" come from?
"detailing" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

Using “detailing”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-T-A-I-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “detaining” - see the side-by-side comparison. detailing vs detaining
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list