deuteragonist
/ˌduː.təˈɹæɡ.ə.nɪst/
"deuteragonist" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“deuteragonist” 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
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A secondary character; specifically, the second most important character (after the protagonist).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | deuteragonist |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˌduː.təˈɹæɡ.ə.nɪst/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “deuteragonist” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for deuteragonist is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌduː.təˈɹæɡ.ə.nɪst/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
deuteragonist has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek δευτεραγωνιστής (deuteragōnistḗs, literally “second actor”), originally in Greek drama, from ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”). By surface analysis, deuter- (“second”) + agonist (“combatant, participant”). The correct English form is deuteragonist, spelled D-E-U-T-E-R-A-G-O-N-I-S-T.
Definition
- 1A secondary character; specifically, the second most important character (after the protagonist).
- 2An actor playing a role (potentially all roles) requiring a second actor to be present on the stage, opposite the protagonist.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek δευτεραγωνιστής (deuteragōnistḗs, literally “second actor”), originally in Greek drama, from ἀγωνιστής (agōnistḗs, “a combatant, pleader, actor”). By surface analysis, deuter- (“second”) + agonist (“combatant, participant”).
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “deuteragonist”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-U-T-E-R-A-G-O-N-I-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌduː.təˈɹæɡ.ə.nɪst/ (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.