detraction
/dɪˈtɹækʃən/
"detraction" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“detraction” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of detracting something, or something detracted; taking away; diminution.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | detraction |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /dɪˈtɹækʃən/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “detraction” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for detraction is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈtɹækʃən/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for detraction in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English detraction, detraccion, detraccioun, from Old French detraccion, from Latin dētractiō. The correct English form is detraction, spelled D-E-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N.
Definition
- 1The act of detracting something, or something detracted; taking away; diminution.
- 2A derogatory or malicious statement; a disparagement, misrepresentation or slander.
- 3The act of revealing previously unknown faults of another person to a third person.
Etymology
From Middle English detraction, detraccion, detraccioun, from Old French detraccion, from Latin dētractiō.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “detraction”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈtɹækʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.