digression

/dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/

//dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən// noun

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

"digression" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“digression” is an uncommon English word, ranked #70,605 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#70,605
frequency rank, English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.

Key facts for digression
PropertyValue
Headworddigression
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#70,605
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “digression” 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). digression 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 digression is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #70,605 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for digression, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French digressiun or disgressiun, from Latin dīgressiōnem, from dīgressus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs), the past passive participle of dīgredior (“to step away, to digress”), from dis- + gradior (“to step, walk, go”). The correct English form is digression, spelled D-I-G-R-E-S-S-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
  2. 2
    The act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing, (rhetoric) particularly for rhetorical effect.
  3. 3
    A deviancy, a sin or error, an act of straying from the path of righteousness or a general rule.
  4. 4
    A deviation, an act of straying from a path.
  5. 5
    An elongation, a deflection or deviation from a mean position or expected path.

Etymology

From Old French digressiun or disgressiun, from Latin dīgressiōnem, from dīgressus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs), the past passive participle of dīgredior (“to step away, to digress”), from dis- + gradior (“to step, walk, go”).

Synonyms

digressioecbole

This word in other languages

digresión(Español)digression(Français)Exkurs(Deutsch)digressão(Português)

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 "digression"?
"digression" is spelled D-I-G-R-E-S-S-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/.
What does "digression" mean?
As a noun, "digression" means: An aside, an act of straying from the main subject in speech or writing.
How do you pronounce "digression"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "digression" is /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/. 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 "digression"?
From Old French digressiun or disgressiun, from Latin dīgressiōnem, from dīgressus + -iō (suffix forming abstract nouns from verbs), the past passive participle of dīgredior (“to step away, to digress”), from dis- + gradior (“to step, walk, go”). 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 “digression”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-G-R-E-S-S-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʌɪˈɡɹɛʃən/ (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.

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

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