diplomacy
/dɪˈpləʊməsi/
"diplomacy" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“diplomacy” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,019 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #11,019
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
- 2
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizatio...
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | diplomacy |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /dɪˈpləʊməsi/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #11,019 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 2 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “diplomacy” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for diplomacy is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈpləʊməsi/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,019 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for diplomacy, with forms such as "ddiplomacy", "dilpomacy", and "dipllomacy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "diplomat", "diploma", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French diplomatie, a back-formation from diplomatique, ultimately from Latin diploma (“a letter of recommendation or authority”); see diploma. The correct English form is diplomacy, spelled D-I-P-L-O-M-A-C-Y.
Definition
- 1The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizations, or even between polities with varying status, such as those of monarchs and their princely vassals.
- 2Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.
Etymology
From French diplomatie, a back-formation from diplomatique, ultimately from Latin diploma (“a letter of recommendation or authority”); see diploma.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddiplomacy,dilpomacy,dipllomacy,diplmoacy,diploamcy,diplomaccy,diplomacyy,diplomayc,diplomcay,diplommacy,dipolmacy,dipplomacy,dpilomacy,idplomacy
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of diplomacy - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "diplomacy"?
What does "diplomacy" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "diplomacy"?
How do you pronounce "diplomacy"?
What is the origin of the word "diplomacy"?
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Using “diplomacy”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-I-P-L-O-M-A-C-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪˈpləʊməsi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “diplomat” - see the side-by-side comparison. diplomacy vs diplomat
- 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.