determine

/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/

//dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn// verb

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

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

The verdict

“determine” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,338. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,338
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To set the boundaries or limits of.

Corpus desk

Index EN-determine · determine · English

determine · rank #2,338 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,338
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH coverage

Nearest frequency peer: coverage (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “determine”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “determine” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

determine vs determined
90% similar
determine vs determines
90% similar

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

Key facts for determine
PropertyValue
Headworddetermine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#2,338
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “determine” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). determine lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around determine (IPA /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #2,338 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for determine, with forms such as "ddetermine", "deetrmine", and "detemrine". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "determined", "determines", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English determinen, from Old French determiner, French déterminer, from Latin determināre (“to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”), from de + termināre (“to limit”), from terminus (“bound, limit, end”). The correct English form is determine, spelled D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To set the boundaries or limits of.
  2. 2
    To ascertain definitely; to figure out, find out, or conclude by analyzing, calculating, or investigating.
  3. 3
    To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle.
  4. 4
    To fix the course of; to impel and direct; with a remoter object preceded by to.
  5. 5
    To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide.
  6. 6
    To resolve (to do something); to establish a fixed intention; to cause (something) to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead.
  7. 7
    To define or limit by adding a differentia.
  8. 8
    To bring to an end, finish; to come to an end, stop, end.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [God] hath determined the times before appointed.
  2. The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight.

Etymology

From Middle English determinen, from Old French determiner, French déterminer, from Latin determināre (“to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”), from de + termināre (“to limit”), from terminus (“bound, limit, end”).

This word in other languages

determinar(Español)déterminer(Français)bestimmen(Deutsch)determinar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetermine
  • deetrmine
  • detemrine
  • deterimne
  • determien
  • determinne
  • determmine
  • determnie
  • deterrmine
  • detremine
  • dettermine
  • dteermine
  • edtermine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of determine - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddetermine1deetrmine2detemrine2deterimne2determien2determinne1determmine1determnie2
Edit distance from "determine"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "determine"?
"determine" is spelled D-E-T-E-R-M-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/.
What does "determine" mean?
As a verb, "determine" means: To set the boundaries or limits of.
What words are commonly confused with "determine"?
"determine" is commonly confused with "determined", "determines". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "determine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "determine" is /dɪˈtɜː(ɹ).mɪn/. 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 "determine"?
From Middle English determinen, from Old French determiner, French déterminer, from Latin determināre (“to bound, limit, prescribe, fix, determine”), from de + termināre (“to limit”), from terminus (“bound, limit, end”). 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 "determine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

collected#2,335basically#2,327positions#2,363remaining#2,364

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

ministry13 variantsproperly13 variantsfriendly13 variantsdelivered13 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "determine". Here's where to go from here.

  • "determine" maps to 2 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "determined". View pair
  • 13 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,338 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list