digest

/daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/

//daɪˈd͡ʒɛst// verb

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

"digest" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“digest” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,018 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,018
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To distribute or arrange methodically; to work over and classify; to reduce to portions for ready use or application.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

digest vs digs
67% similar
digest vs dist
67% similar
digest vs digit
67% similar

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

Key facts for digest
PropertyValue
Headworddigest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,018
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “digest” 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). digest 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 digest is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,018 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for digest, with forms such as "ddigest", "dgiest", and "diegst". 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. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "digs", "dist", "digit", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (tr… The correct English form is digest, spelled D-I-G-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To distribute or arrange methodically; to work over and classify; to reduce to portions for ready use or application.
  2. 2
    To separate (the food) in its passage through the alimentary canal into the nutritive and nonnutritive elements; to prepare, by the action of the digestive juices, for conversion into blood; to convert into chyme.
  3. 3
    To think over and arrange methodically in the mind; to reduce to a plan or method; to receive in the mind and consider carefully; to get an understanding of; to comprehend.
  4. 4
    To bear comfortably or patiently; to be reconciled to; to brook.
  5. 5
    To expose to a gentle heat in a boiler or matrass, as a preparation for chemical operations.
  6. 6
    To undergo digestion.
  7. 7
    To cut with one or more restriction endonucleases.
  8. 8
    To suppurate; to generate pus, as an ulcer.
  9. 9
    To cause to suppurate, or generate pus, as an ulcer or wound.
  10. 10
    To ripen; to mature.
  11. 11
    To quieten or reduce (a negative feeling, such as anger or grief).

Etymology

From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and mieltan (transitive), both “to melt, to digest,” whence Modern English melt.

Synonyms

arrangesortsort outsort out

This word in other languages

digerir(Español)digérer(Français)ordnen(Deutsch)digerir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddigest,dgiest,diegst,digesst,digestt,digets,diggest,digset,idgest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of digest - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddigest1dgiest2diegst2digesst1digestt1digets2diggest1digset2
Edit distance from "digest"

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 "digest"?
"digest" is spelled D-I-G-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/.
What does "digest" mean?
As a verb, "digest" means: To distribute or arrange methodically; to work over and classify; to reduce to portions for ready use or application.
What words are commonly confused with "digest"?
"digest" is commonly confused with "digs", "dist", "digit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "digest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "digest" is /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/. 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 "digest"?
From Middle English digesten, from Latin dīgestus, past participle of dīgerō (“carry apart”), from dī- (for dis- (“apart”)) + gerō (“to carry”), influenced by Middle French digestion. Partly displaced native Old English meltan (intransitive) and m... 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 “digest”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-G-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /daɪˈd͡ʒɛst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “digs” - see the side-by-side comparison. digest vs digs
  • 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