detoxify
"detoxify" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“detoxify” is uncommon English (frequency #81,265 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #81,265
- frequency rank, English
- 3,470
- “D” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To remove foreign and harmful substances from something.
Corpus desk
Index EN-detoxify · detoxify · English
detoxify · rank #81,265 · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-RARE #81,265
- LEN-LONG 8 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-MID 3,470
- PHOTO-FINISH depositor
Nearest frequency peer: depositor (-2 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.
Long-tail ranks near “detoxify”
Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter
- democratize
democratize
18,740 corpus weight
- demonology
demonology
18,739 corpus weight
- depositor
depositor
18,738 corpus weight
- detoxify
detoxify
18,736 corpus weight
- Deyoung
Deyoung
18,734 corpus weight
- Diaby
Diaby
18,732 corpus weight
What this shows Long-tail view: where “detoxify” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | detoxify |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #81,265 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “detoxify” in English
Rare enough to double-check
detoxify is uncommon English at frequency #81,265 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for detoxify in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Attested since 1905 (twelve years earlier than toxify), from de- + tox- + -ify. (Detoxicate is attested one year earlier, since 1904.) The correct English form is detoxify, spelled D-E-T-O-X-I-F-Y.
Definition
- 1To remove foreign and harmful substances from something.
- 2To make something that is harmful more benign.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how detoxify appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
As a result of this, in some way or other, unknown to us, a diminished power of oxidation results and the organism loses the power to detoxify substances absorbed from the intestine which have been present there in excess; […]
The severe disciplinary action taken by his daughter—who since taking over the FN in 2011 has led a drive to “detoxify” the party and move it away from the racist, jackbooted, antisemitic imagery of the past—was supposed to silence her father.
Etymology
Attested since 1905 (twelve years earlier than toxify), from de- + tox- + -ify. (Detoxicate is attested one year earlier, since 1904.)
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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
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Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "detoxify", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).