detention

/dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/

//dɪˈtɛnʃn̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“detention” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,555. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,555
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The act of detaining or the state of being detained; hindrance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detention · detention · English

detention · rank #7,555 · 14 variants · 6 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,555
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 6 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH defining

Nearest frequency peer: defining (-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 “detention”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detention” 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).

detention vs detonation
80% similar
detention vs deletion
78% similar
detention vs detection
89% similar

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

Key facts for detention
PropertyValue
Headworddetention
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,555
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detention”

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).detentionlands 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 “defining” (#7,554), “disputes” (#7,556), “dedication” (#7,553). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detention” is #7,555. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around detention (IPA /dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,555 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for detention, with forms such as "ddetention", "deetntion", and "deteniton". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 6 confusable-pair relationships, "detonation", "deletion", "detection", 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 Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion. The correct English form is detention, spelled D-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of detaining or the state of being detained; hindrance.
  2. 2
    A temporary state of custody or confinement.
  3. 3
    A temporary state of custody or confinement.
  4. 4
    The bare physical control without the mental element of intention required for possession.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the case of rail-borne traffic, permission is given to each sender to load and forward his traffic so that it will be available for loading into the vessel with a minimum of detention to wagons, unless arrangements have been made for the traffic to be put into store to await the arrival of the ship.
  2. "[…] On the 18th of October, 1841, a very intense magnetic disturbance was recorded, and amongst other curious facts mentioned is that of the detention of the 10:05pm express train at Exeter for 16 minutes, as from the magnetic disturbance affecting the needles so powerfully, it was impossible to ascertain if the line was clear at Starcross. The superinte…

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion.

This word in other languages

detención(Español)détention(Français)Haft(Deutsch)detenção(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetention
  • deetntion
  • deteniton
  • detenntion
  • detension
  • detentino
  • detentionn
  • detentoin
  • detenttion
  • detetnion
  • detnetion
  • dettention
  • dteention
  • edtention

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetention1deetntion2deteniton2detenntion1detension1detentino2detentionn1detentoin2
Edit distance from "detention"

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 "detention"?
"detention" is spelled D-E-T-E-N-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/.
What does "detention" mean?
As a noun, "detention" means: The act of detaining or the state of being detained; hindrance.
What words are commonly confused with "detention"?
"detention" is commonly confused with "detonation", "deletion", "detection". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detention"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detention" is /dɪˈtɛnʃn̩/. 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 "detention"?
Borrowed from Middle French détention, from Latin detentio, detentionem. Equivalent to detain + -tion. 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 "detention", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

countless#7,549forbidden#7,565clearance#7,540assembled#7,525

Similar misspelling depth

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

commissioned14 variantspackaging14 variantstherapist14 variantssupposedly14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list