detector

/dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)/

//dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)// noun

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

"detector" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“detector” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,017. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,017
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detector · detector · English

detector · rank #11,017 · 12 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,017
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH descendants

Nearest frequency peer: descendants (-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 “detector”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detector” 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).

detector vs director
75% similar
detector vs detect
75% similar
detector vs detected
75% similar

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

Key facts for detector
PropertyValue
Headworddetector
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,017
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detector”

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).detectorlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “descendants” (#11,016), “digest” (#11,018), “diplomacy” (#11,019). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detector” is #11,017. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around detector (IPA /dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,017 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for detector, with forms such as "ddetector", "deetctor", and "detcetor". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "director", "detect", "detected", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin dētēctor. Equals detect + -or (agent noun forming suffix). The correct English form is detector, spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.
  2. 2
    A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.
  3. 3
    A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Smoke detectors are mandatory in public buildings.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin dētēctor. Equals detect + -or (agent noun forming suffix).

This word in other languages

détecteur(Français)Detektor(Deutsch)detector(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetector
  • deetctor
  • detcetor
  • detecctor
  • detecotr
  • detectorr
  • detectro
  • detecttor
  • detetcor
  • dettector
  • dteector
  • edtector

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetector1deetctor2detcetor2detecctor1detecotr2detectorr1detectro2detecttor1
Edit distance from "detector"

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 "detector"?
"detector" is spelled D-E-T-E-C-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)/.
What does "detector" mean?
As a noun, "detector" means: A device capable of registering a specific substance or physical phenomenon, and that optionally sounds an alarm or triggers a warning.
What words are commonly confused with "detector"?
"detector" is commonly confused with "director", "detect", "detected". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detector"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detector" is /dɪˈtɛktə(ɹ)/. 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 "detector"?
Borrowed from Latin dētēctor. Equals detect + -or (agent noun forming suffix). 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 "detector", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

distract#11,023doctor's#11,024downward#11,025cosmetic#11,008

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

greatness12 variantsinfrared12 variantsabnormal12 variantsmarginal12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list