detract

/dɪˈtɹækt/

//dɪˈtɹækt// verb

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

"detract" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“detract” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,512. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,512
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To take away; to withdraw or remove.

Corpus desk

Index EN-detract · detract · English

detract · rank #28,512 · 11 variants · 5 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,512
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 5 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Delphi

Nearest frequency peer: Delphi (-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 “detract”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “detract” 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).

detract vs Detroit
57% similar
detract vs distract
75% similar
detract vs detect
71% similar

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

Key facts for detract
PropertyValue
Headworddetract
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈtɹækt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#28,512
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “detract”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Delphi” (#28,511), “degenerative” (#28,509), “deciduous” (#28,508). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “detract” is #28,512. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around detract (IPA /dɪˈtɹækt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #28,512 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for detract, with forms such as "ddetract", "dertact", and "detarct". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "Detroit", "distract", "detect", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho. The correct English form is detract, spelled D-E-T-R-A-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To take away; to withdraw or remove.
  2. 2
    To take credit or reputation from; to derogate; to defame or decry.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Conan O’Brien-penned half-hour has the capacity to rip our collective hearts out the way the cute, funny bad girl next door does to Bart when she reveals that her new boyfriend is Jimbo Jones, but the show keeps shying away from genuine emotion in favor of jokes that, while overwhelmingly funny, detract from the poignancy and the emotional intimacy of…
  2. That calumnious critic […] / Detracting what laboriously we do.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho.

This word in other languages

desvirtuar(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddetract
  • dertact
  • detarct
  • detracct
  • detractt
  • detratc
  • detrcat
  • detrract
  • dettract
  • dteract
  • edtract

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetract1dertact2detarct2detracct1detractt1detratc2detrcat2detrract1
Edit distance from "detract"

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 "detract"?
"detract" is spelled D-E-T-R-A-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈtɹækt/.
What does "detract" mean?
As a verb, "detract" means: To take away; to withdraw or remove.
What words are commonly confused with "detract"?
"detract" is commonly confused with "Detroit", "distract", "detect". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detract"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detract" is /dɪˈtɹækt/. 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 "detract"?
Borrowed from Middle French détracter, from Latin detractum, past participle of detraho. 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 "detract", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cutlery#28,505Chrissy#28,492Chomsky#28,491Eurasia#28,534

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

eggplant11 variantsequipping11 variantsflapping11 variantsflorist11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list