discard
/dɪsˈkɑːd/
"discard" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“discard” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,820 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #17,820
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
- 7
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To throw away, to reject.
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 | discard |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /dɪsˈkɑːd/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #17,820 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 7 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “discard” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for discard is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪsˈkɑːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,820 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for discard, with forms such as "ddiscard", "dicsard", and "disacrd". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "discord", "discern", "discards", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + card. Compare Spanish descartar. The correct English form is discard, spelled D-I-S-C-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1To throw away, to reject.
- 2To make a discard; to throw out a card.
- 3To dismiss from employment, confidence, or favour; to discharge.
Etymology
From dis- + card. Compare Spanish descartar.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddiscard,dicsard,disacrd,discadr,discardd,discarrd,disccard,discrad,disscard,dsicard,idscard
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of discard - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “discard”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-C-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɪsˈkɑːd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “discord” - see the side-by-side comparison. discard vs discord
- 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.