detonator
/ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/
"detonator" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“detonator” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #47,576 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #47,576
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
- 3
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | detonator |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #47,576 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 3 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “detonator” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for detonator is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #47,576 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A device used to detonate an explosive device etc.
- 2A small explosive device attached to the railhead to provide an audible warning when a train passes over it.
- 3Any explosive whose action is practically instantaneous.
- 4A gun fired by a percussion cap.
Etymology
From detonate + -or.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "detonator" mean?
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Using “detonator”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-T-O-N-A-T-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɛt.ə.neɪ.tə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “detonate” - see the side-by-side comparison. detonator vs detonate
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.