dexamethasone

/ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn/

//ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn// noun

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

"dexamethasone" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dexamethasone” is uncommon English (frequency #64,315 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,315
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A synthetic member of the glucocorticoid-class of steroid hormones, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₂₉FO₅, and used especially as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dexamethasone · dexamethasone · English

dexamethasone · rank #64,315 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,315
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH determinate

Nearest frequency peer: determinate (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “dexamethasone”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “dexamethasone” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dexamethasone
PropertyValue
Headworddexamethasone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn/
Letters13
Frequency rank#64,315
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dexamethasone” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dexamethasonefalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “determinate” (#64,314), “diddly” (#64,316), “disembarking” (#64,317). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dexamethasone” is #64,315. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dexamethasone is uncommon English at frequency #64,315 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A synthetic member of the glucocorticoid-class of steroid hormones, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₂₉FO₅, and used especially as an anti-inflammatory agent.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for dexamethasone in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dex- + -a- + -methasone (“prednisone or prednisolone derivative”). The correct English form is dexamethasone, spelled D-E-X-A-M-E-T-H-A-S-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A synthetic member of the glucocorticoid-class of steroid hormones, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₂₉FO₅, and used especially as an anti-inflammatory agent.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Many dexamethasones act as anti-inflammatory agents.
  2. Lee showed her how to feed the baby with the dexamethasone syrup.

Etymology

From dex- + -a- + -methasone (“prednisone or prednisolone derivative”).

This word in other languages

dexaméthasone(Français)

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 "dexamethasone"?
"dexamethasone" is spelled D-E-X-A-M-E-T-H-A-S-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn/.
What does "dexamethasone" mean?
As a noun, "dexamethasone" means: A synthetic member of the glucocorticoid-class of steroid hormones, having the chemical formula C₂₂H₂₉FO₅, and used especially as an anti-inflammatory agent.
How do you pronounce "dexamethasone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dexamethasone" is /ˌdɛk.səˈmɛθ.ə.səʊn/. 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 "dexamethasone"?
From dex- + -a- + -methasone (“prednisone or prednisolone derivative”). 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 "dexamethasone", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

comparability#64,278biostatistics#64,217imaginatively#64,436affirmatively#64,164

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list