detonator

/ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/

//ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“detonator” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,576. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,576
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detonator · detonator · English

detonator · rank #47,576 · 13 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,576
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH despatches

Nearest frequency peer: despatches (-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 “detonator”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detonator” 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).

detonator vs detonate
78% similar
detonator vs decorator
78% similar
detonator vs detonation
80% similar

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

Key facts for detonator
PropertyValue
Headworddetonator
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#47,576
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detonator”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “despatches” (#47,575), “Derrida” (#47,574), “Devereux” (#47,578). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detonator” is #47,576. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around detonator (IPA /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,576 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for detonator, with forms such as "ddetonator", "deotnator", and "detnoator". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "detonate", "decorator", "detonation", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From detonate + -or. The correct English form is detonator, spelled D-E-T-O-N-A-T-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.
  2. 2
    A small explosive device attached to the railhead to provide an audible warning when a train passes over it.
  3. 3
    Any explosive whose action is practically instantaneous.
  4. 4
    A gun fired by a percussion cap.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Warning messages were relayed to the signalmen at Slough East and Dolphin Junction boxes with such celerity that the up main signals were replaced to danger in front of the express before it finally stopped. The signalman at Dolphin Junction just had time to replace the down main signals and pull the emergency lever to lay detonators in front of the fast…

Etymology

From detonate + -or.

This word in other languages

détonateur(Français)Zünder(Deutsch)detonador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetonator
  • deotnator
  • detnoator
  • detoantor
  • detonaotr
  • detonatorr
  • detonatro
  • detonattor
  • detonnator
  • detontaor
  • dettonator
  • dteonator
  • edtonator

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetonator1deotnator2detnoator2detoantor2detonaotr2detonatorr1detonatro2detonattor1
Edit distance from "detonator"

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 "detonator"?
"detonator" is spelled D-E-T-O-N-A-T-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "detonator" mean?
As a noun, "detonator" means: A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.
What words are commonly confused with "detonator"?
"detonator" is commonly confused with "detonate", "decorator", "detonation". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detonator"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detonator" is /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "detonator"?
From detonate + -or. 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 "detonator", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

denigrate#47,572drinkable#47,592Cupertino#47,553Courtenay#47,551

Similar misspelling depth

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

evocation13 variantsextradite13 variantsextricate13 variantsChiswick13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list