detect

/dɪˈtɛkt/

//dɪˈtɛkt// verb

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

"detect" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“detect” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,557. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,557
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detect · detect · English

detect · rank #6,557 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,557
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH declare

Nearest frequency peer: declare (-2 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 “detect”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detect” 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).

detect vs deter
67% similar
detect vs direct
67% similar
detect vs detest
83% similar

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

Key facts for detect
PropertyValue
Headworddetect
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈtɛkt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,557
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detect”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).detectlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “declare” (#6,555), “diesel” (#6,559), “crops” (#6,554). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detect” is #6,557. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around detect (IPA /dɪˈtɛkt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,557 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for detect, with forms such as "ddetect", "deetct", and "detcet". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "deter", "direct", "detest", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin detectus, perfect passive participle of detegere (“to uncover or disclose”), from de- + tegere (“to cover”); see tegument, tile, thatch. The correct English form is detect, spelled D-E-T-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Cantharidin, although readily decomposed by chemical agents, is so permanent in the body that it has been detected in the corpse of a cat eighty-four days after death.
  2. Diesel maintenance schedules are benefiting from work done on the magnificent Hilger & Watts electronic spectrograph for oil analysis, which detects minute quantities of metals in samples of used lubricating oil; [...].

Etymology

From Latin detectus, perfect passive participle of detegere (“to uncover or disclose”), from de- + tegere (“to cover”); see tegument, tile, thatch.

This word in other languages

déceler(Français)entdecken(Deutsch)detetar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetect
  • deetct
  • detcet
  • detecct
  • detectt
  • detetc
  • dettect
  • dteect
  • edtect

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetect1deetct2detcet2detecct1detectt1detetc2dettect1dteect2
Edit distance from "detect"

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 "detect"?
"detect" is spelled D-E-T-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛkt/.
What does "detect" mean?
As a verb, "detect" means: To discover or find by careful search, examination, or probing.
What words are commonly confused with "detect"?
"detect" is commonly confused with "deter", "direct", "detest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detect"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detect" is /dɪˈtɛkt/. 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 "detect"?
From Latin detectus, perfect passive participle of detegere (“to uncover or disclose”), from de- + tegere (“to cover”); see tegument, tile, thatch. 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 "detect", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

diesel#6,559Clarke#6,551booked#6,546filing#6,572

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

dresses9 variantswhites9 variantsunhappy9 variantshatred9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list