detest

/dɪˈtɛst/

//dɪˈtɛst// verb

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

"detest" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“detest” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,016. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,016
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detest · detest · English

detest · rank #34,016 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,016
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Deuteronomy

Nearest frequency peer: Deuteronomy (+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 “detest”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detest” 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).

detest vs digest
67% similar
detest vs divest
67% similar
detest vs driest
67% similar

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

Key facts for detest
PropertyValue
Headworddetest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈtɛst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#34,016
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detest”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).detestlands 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 “Deuteronomy” (#34,017), “Deirdre” (#34,014), “devising” (#34,018). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detest” is #34,016. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around detest (IPA /dɪˈtɛst/), averb. Corpus frequency is #34,016 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for detest, with forms such as "ddetest", "deetst", and "detesst". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "digest", "divest", "driest", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *tréyes From Middle French detester (French détester), from Latin dētestor (“to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely”), from dē- + testor (“to testify, bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”); see test, … The correct English form is detest, spelled D-E-T-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.
  2. 2
    To witness against; to denounce; to condemn.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I detest snakes.
  2. Who dares think one thing, and another tell, / My heart detests him as the gates of hell.

Etymology

PIE word *tréyes From Middle French detester (French détester), from Latin dētestor (“to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely”), from dē- + testor (“to testify, bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”); see test, testify. Doublet of detestate.

This word in other languages

detestar(Español)détester(Français)verabscheuen(Deutsch)detestar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetest
  • deetst
  • detesst
  • detestt
  • detets
  • detset
  • dettest
  • dteest
  • edtest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetest1deetst2detesst1detestt1detets2detset2dettest1dteest2
Edit distance from "detest"

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 "detest"?
"detest" is spelled D-E-T-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɛst/.
What does "detest" mean?
As a verb, "detest" means: To dislike (someone or something) intensely; to loathe.
What words are commonly confused with "detest"?
"detest" is commonly confused with "digest", "divest", "driest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detest" is /dɪˈtɛst/. 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 "detest"?
PIE word *tréyes From Middle French detester (French détester), from Latin dētestor (“to imprecate evil while calling the gods to witness", "denounce", "hate intensely”), from dē- + testor (“to testify, bear witness”), from testis (“a witness”); ... 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 "detest", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dashes#34,005dwells#34,030cycled#34,001Elisha#34,039

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

culling9 variantschâteau9 variantsFleury9 variantsbraver9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list