detection

/dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/

//dɪˈtɛk.ʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“detection” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,461. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,461
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act or process of detecting, uncovering, or finding out, the discovery of something new, hidden, or disguised.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detection · detection · English

detection · rank #6,461 · 14 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,461
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH detected

Nearest frequency peer: detected (-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 “detection”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detection” 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).

detection vs detector
78% similar
detection vs direction
78% similar
detection vs detective
78% similar

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

Key facts for detection
PropertyValue
Headworddetection
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,461
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detection”

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).detectionlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “detected” (#6,460), “doll” (#6,462), “demonstration” (#6,459). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detection” is #6,461. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around detection (IPA /dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,461 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for detection, with forms such as "ddetection", "deetction", and "detcetion". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "detector", "direction", "detective", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin dētēctiōnem. By surface analysis, detect + -ion. The correct English form is detection, spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act or process of detecting, uncovering, or finding out, the discovery of something new, hidden, or disguised.
  2. 2
    Synonym of accusation, the exposure of concealed information about a crime or heresy.
  3. 3
    The act or process of finding or detecting an electrical signal in a carrier wave.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the old days, to my commonplace and unobserving mind, he gave no evidences of genius whatsoever. He never read me any of his manuscripts, […], and therefore my lack of detection of his promise may in some degree be pardoned.
  2. “Why should Eldridge commit murder?[…]There was only one possible motive—namely, he wished to avoid detection as James Selby of Anaconda Ltd.[…]”

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin dētēctiōnem. By surface analysis, detect + -ion.

Synonyms

demodulation

This word in other languages

détection(Français)detecção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetection
  • deetction
  • detcetion
  • detecction
  • deteciton
  • detecsion
  • detectino
  • detectionn
  • detectoin
  • detecttion
  • detetcion
  • dettection
  • dteection
  • edtection

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetection1deetction2detcetion2detecction1deteciton2detecsion1detectino2detectionn1
Edit distance from "detection"

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 "detection"?
"detection" is spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/.
What does "detection" mean?
As a noun, "detection" means: The act or process of detecting, uncovering, or finding out, the discovery of something new, hidden, or disguised.
What words are commonly confused with "detection"?
"detection" is commonly confused with "detector", "direction", "detective". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detection"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detection" is /dɪˈtɛk.ʃən/. 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 "detection"?
Learned borrowing from Latin dētēctiōnem. By surface analysis, detect + -ion. 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 "detection", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

elaborate#6,464expertise#6,467exploring#6,468cigarette#6,449

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

instances14 variantsambulance14 variantsnortheast14 variantstestament14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list