detention
/dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/noun
detention is spelled D-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-N: 9 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 9.1 times per million words in written English, the 7,553rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, detention means “The act of detaining or the state of being detained; hindrance” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of detention is detentions.
How many letters and syllables are in detention?
| Letters | 9: D-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 9.1 times per million words; the 7,553rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is detention?
Detention appears 9.1 times per million words in written English, the 7,553rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce detention?
- /dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/
Detention has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-detention.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of detention
- detentions plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does detention mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The act of detaining or the state of being detained; hindrance.
- 2
Confinement of a prisoner awaiting trial.
- 3
A punishment given to a student for a minor infraction, typically requiring the student to report to a designated room during recess or outside of school hours to work on homework or perform busywork.
be stuck in detention
- 4
The bare physical control without the mental element of intention required for possession.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate detention?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of detention: Det..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Detention in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | détention, arrestation , retenue |
| German | Haft, Gewahrsam , Nachsitzen , Innehabung, Detention |
| Spanish | mera tenencia , detención |
| Portuguese | detenção |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does detention come from?
Borrowed from Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).