diplomacy

/dɪˈpləʊməsi/

//dɪˈpləʊməsi// noun

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

"diplomacy" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“diplomacy” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,019. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,019
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizatio...

Corpus desk

Index EN-diplomacy · diplomacy · English

diplomacy · rank #11,019 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,019
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH digest

Nearest frequency peer: digest (-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 “diplomacy”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “diplomacy” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

diplomacy vs diplomat
78% similar
diplomacy vs diploma
78% similar

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

Key facts for diplomacy
PropertyValue
Headworddiplomacy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈpləʊməsi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#11,019
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “diplomacy”

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).diplomacylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “digest” (#11,018), “directive” (#11,020), “detector” (#11,017). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “diplomacy” is #11,019. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around diplomacy (IPA /dɪˈpləʊməsi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,019 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    The 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.
  2. 2
    Tact and subtle skill in dealing with people so as to avoid or settle hostility.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. National diplomacy typically deploys its dexterity to secure advantage for one's nation.
  2. Admiral Hackett: Hell of a thing you just pulled off, Commander. Curing the genophage? I never thought I'd see the day. Shepard: Wrex has agreed to help the turians, Admiral. We should get their full support. Admiral Hackett: And the salarians? How did you manage to get them on board? Shepard: Careful diplomacy. Admiral Hackett: Uh-huh… I don’t think I wa…

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

diplomacia(Español)diplomatie(Français)Diplomatie(Deutsch)diplomacia(Português)

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.

ddiplomacy1dilpomacy2dipllomacy1diplmoacy2diploamcy2diplomaccy1diplomacyy1diplomayc2
Edit distance from "diplomacy"

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"?
"diplomacy" is spelled D-I-P-L-O-M-A-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈpləʊməsi/.
What does "diplomacy" mean?
As a noun, "diplomacy" means: The art and practice of conducting international relations by negotiating alliances, treaties, agreements etc., bilaterally or multilaterally, between states and sometimes international organizatio...
What words are commonly confused with "diplomacy"?
"diplomacy" is commonly confused with "diplomat", "diploma". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "diplomacy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diplomacy" is /dɪˈpləʊməsi/. 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 "diplomacy"?
From French diplomatie, a back-formation from diplomatique, ultimately from Latin diploma (“a letter of recommendation or authority”); see diploma. 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 "diplomacy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

directive#11,020energetic#11,029greatness#11,036hazardous#11,040

Similar misspelling depth

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

engineered14 variantsfulfilling14 variantsinduction14 variantsadjusting14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list