diminutive

/dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/

//dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv// adj

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

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

The verdict

“diminutive” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,733. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,733
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Very small.

Corpus desk

Index EN-diminutive · diminutive · English

diminutive · rank #25,733 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,733
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dichotomy

Nearest frequency peer: dichotomy (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “diminutive”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “diminutive” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for diminutive
PropertyValue
Headworddiminutive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/
Letters10
Frequency rank#25,733
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “diminutive”

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).diminutivelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “dichotomy” (#25,732), “Dina” (#25,734), “diaphragm” (#25,731). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “diminutive” is #25,733. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around diminutive (IPA /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,733 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for diminutive, with forms such as "ddiminutive", "diimnutive", and "diminnutive". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398. The correct English form is diminutive, spelled D-I-M-I-N-U-T-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Very small.
  2. 2
    Serving to diminish.
  3. 3
    Of or pertaining to, or creating a word form expressing smallness, youth, unimportance, or endearment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mrs. Washington ("Oh, la, call me Martha, Boys") is a diminutive woman with a cheerful rather than happy air, who seems to bustle even when standing still..
  2. Roman Sharonov rose unchallenged to head a corner wide, while diminutive winger Gokdeniz Karadeniz ghosted in with a diving header from the edge of the six-yard box that was acrobatically kept out by Gomes.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attested in 1398.

This word in other languages

diminuto(Español)minuscule(Français)winzig(Deutsch)minúsculo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiminutive
  • diimnutive
  • diminnutive
  • dimintuive
  • diminuitve
  • diminutiev
  • diminutivve
  • diminuttive
  • diminutvie
  • dimiuntive
  • dimminutive
  • dimniutive
  • dmiinutive
  • idminutive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiminutive1diimnutive2diminnutive1dimintuive2diminuitve2diminutiev2diminutivve1diminuttive1
Edit distance from "diminutive"

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 "diminutive"?
"diminutive" is spelled D-I-M-I-N-U-T-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/.
What does "diminutive" mean?
As an adjective, "diminutive" means: Very small.
What are common misspellings of "diminutive"?
Common misspellings include "ddiminutive", "diimnutive", "diminnutive", "dimintuive", "diminuitve". The correct spelling is "diminutive".
How do you pronounce "diminutive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diminutive" is /dɪˈmɪn.jə.tɪv/. 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 "diminutive"?
Inherited from Middle English diminutif, derived from Old French diminutif, derived from Latin dīminutīv|us, ~a, ~um (adjective), from dīminūt|us, ~a, ~um (participle), perfect passive participle of dīmin|uō, ~uere, ~uī, ~ūtum (verb). First attest... 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 "diminutive", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dispensary#25,735dispensing#25,736conforming#25,713expressway#25,758

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

dichotomy14 variantsdiaphragm14 variantsconsonant14 variantscoherence14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list