detritus
/dɪˈtɹaɪ.təs/
"detritus" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“detritus” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #40,653 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #40,653
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pieces of rock broken off by ice, glacier, or erosion.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | detritus |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /dɪˈtɹaɪ.təs/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #40,653 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “detritus” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for detritus is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈtɹaɪ.təs/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,653 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 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for detritus, with forms such as "ddetritus", "dertitus", and "detirtus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin dētrītus (“(that which is) rubbed away”), from dēterō (“rub away”). The correct English form is detritus, spelled D-E-T-R-I-T-U-S.
Definition
- 1Pieces of rock broken off by ice, glacier, or erosion.
- 2Organic waste material from decomposing dead plants or animals.
- 3Any debris or fragments of disintegrated material.
- 4Rock consisting of accumulated debris from decayed rocks, like sand, that often is joined by cement.
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin dētrītus (“(that which is) rubbed away”), from dēterō (“rub away”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddetritus,dertitus,detirtus,detritsu,detrittus,detrituss,detriuts,detrritus,detrtius,dettritus,dteritus,edtritus
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of detritus - 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
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Using “detritus”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-T-R-I-T-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈtɹaɪ.təs/ (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.