detour
/ˈdiː.tɔː(ɹ)/noun, verb
detour is spelled D-E-T-O-U-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, detour means “A diversion or deviation from one's original route” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of detour is detours.
How many letters and syllables are in detour?
| Letters | 6: D-E-T-O-U-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.6 times per million words; the 22,362nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is detour?
Detour appears 1.6 times per million words in written English, the 22,362nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce detour?
- /ˈdiː.tɔː(ɹ)/
- /ˈdiː.tʊə(ɹ)/
- /dɪˈtʊə/
Detour has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-detour.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with detour?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as detour.
Spelled with the same letters in another order: routed, redout.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of detour
- detours plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- detouring participle, present
- detoured participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does detour mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A diversion or deviation from one's original route.
- 2
A temporary alternative route available to motorists away from the usual route due to a closure for repairs, dealing with an accident, or some event rendering the usual route unusable.
verb
- 1
To make a detour.
- 2
To direct or send on a detour.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Detour in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | détour, déviation , détourner |
| German | Umleitung, Umweg , einen Umweg machen , umleiten |
| Portuguese | desvio, distracção , desviar |
| Spanish | desvío, detur , desviar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does detour come from?
Borrowed from French détour, from détourner (“turn away”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).