development

/dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/

//dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt// noun

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

"development" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“development” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #488 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#488
frequency rank, English
11
letters
17
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The process of developing; growth, directed change.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

development vs developmental
85% similar

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

Key facts for development
PropertyValue
Headworddevelopment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#488
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “development” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for development is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #488 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for development, with forms such as "ddevelopment", "deevlopment", and "devellopment". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "developmental", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French développement, from Old French desvelopemens (“unrolling”). By surface analysis, develop + -ment. First attested in 1756. The correct English form is development, spelled D-E-V-E-L-O-P-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The process of developing; growth, directed change.
  2. 2
    The process by which a mature multicellular organism or part of an organism is produced by the addition of new cells.
  3. 3
    Something which has developed.
  4. 4
    A project consisting of one or more commercial or residential buildings.
  5. 5
    The building of such a project.
  6. 6
    The application of new ideas to practical problems (cf. research).
  7. 7
    The active placement of the pieces, or the process of achieving it.
  8. 8
    The process by in which previous material is transformed and restated.
  9. 9
    The second section of a piece of music in sonata form, in which the original theme is revisited in altered and varying form.
  10. 10
    The expression of a function in the form of a series.
  11. 11
    The processing of photographic film so as to bring out the images latent in it.

Etymology

From French développement, from Old French desvelopemens (“unrolling”). By surface analysis, develop + -ment. First attested in 1756.

This word in other languages

desarrollo(Español)développement(Français)Entwicklung(Deutsch)desenvolvimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddevelopment,deevlopment,devellopment,develompent,developemnt,developmennt,developmentt,developmetn,developmment,developmnet,developpment,develpoment,deveolpment,devleopment,devvelopment,dveelopment,edvelopment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddevelopment1deevlopment2devellopment1develompent2developemnt2developmennt1developmentt1developmetn2
Edit distance from "development"

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 "development"?
"development" is spelled D-E-V-E-L-O-P-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/.
What does "development" mean?
As a noun, "development" means: The process of developing; growth, directed change.
What words are commonly confused with "development"?
"development" is commonly confused with "developmental". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "development"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "development" is /dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/. 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 "development"?
From French développement, from Old French desvelopemens (“unrolling”). By surface analysis, develop + -ment. First attested in 1756. 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.

Using “development”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-V-E-L-O-P-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈvɛl.əp.mənt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “developmental” - see the side-by-side comparison. development vs developmental
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list