# deter

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈtɜː/ · frequency rank #15,383

## Definitions
1. To prevent something from happening.
2. To persuade someone not to do something; to discourage.
3. To distract someone from something.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *de
Proto-Italic *dē
Latin dē
Latin dē-
Proto-Indo-European *tres-
Proto-Indo-European *-yeti
Proto-Indo-European *-éyeti
Proto-Indo-European *troséyeti
Proto-Italic *trozeō
Latin terreō
Latin dēterreōbor.
English deter
Borrowed from Latin dēterreō (“deter, discourage”), from de (“from”) + terreō (“I frighten”).

## Easily confused with
- **dyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dyer)
- **doer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-doer)
- **Dover** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dover)
- **dryer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dryer)
- **diner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-diner)
- **Dewey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dewey)
- **diver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-diver)
- **detox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-detox)
- **drier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-drier)
- **Dwyer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dwyer)
- **duper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-duper)
- **Dewar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dewar)
- **dimer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dimer)
- **dexter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dexter)
- **detour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-detour)
- **dieter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-dieter)
- **detest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-detest)
- **duster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/deter-vs-duster)
- **der** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/der-vs-deter)
- **Dee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dee-vs-deter)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ddeter`, `deetr`, `deterr`, `detre`, `detter`, `dteer`, `edter`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/deter