discernment

noun

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

"discernment" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“discernment” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,421. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,421
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The ability to distinguish; judgement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discernment · discernment · English

discernment · rank #37,421 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,421
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dimly

Nearest frequency peer: dimly (-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 “discernment”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discernment” 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 discernment
PropertyValue
Headworddiscernment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Frequency rank#37,421
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discernment”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).discernmentlands 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 “dimly” (#37,420), “dislodge” (#37,422), “Digby” (#37,418). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discernment” is #37,421. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around discernment, anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,421 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for discernment, with forms such as "ddiscernment", "dicsernment", and "disccernment". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern + -ment. The correct English form is discernment, spelled D-I-S-C-E-R-N-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ability to distinguish; judgement.
  2. 2
    The act of distinguishing between things.
  3. 3
    The ability to distinguish between things.
  4. 4
    The ability to perceive differences that exist.
  5. 5
    The condition of understanding.
  6. 6
    Aesthetic discrimination; taste, appreciation.
  7. 7
    Perceptiveness.
  8. 8
    The ability to make wise judgements; sagacity.
  9. 9
    Discretion in judging objectively.

Etymology

From Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern + -ment.

This word in other languages

discernement(Français)Diskriminierung(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscernment
  • dicsernment
  • disccernment
  • discenrment
  • discermnent
  • discernemnt
  • discernmennt
  • discernmentt
  • discernmetn
  • discernmment
  • discernmnet
  • discernnment
  • discerrnment
  • discrenment
  • disecrnment
  • disscernment
  • dsicernment
  • idscernment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of discernment - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddiscernment1dicsernment2disccernment1discenrment2discermnent2discernemnt2discernmennt1discernmentt1
Edit distance from "discernment"

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 "discernment"?
"discernment" is spelled D-I-S-C-E-R-N-M-E-N-T.
What does "discernment" mean?
As a noun, "discernment" means: The ability to distinguish; judgement.
What are common misspellings of "discernment"?
Common misspellings include "ddiscernment", "dicsernment", "disccernment", "discenrment", "discermnent". The correct spelling is "discernment".
What is the origin of the word "discernment"?
From Middle French discernement, equivalent to discern + -ment. 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 "discernment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

demarcation#37,412Dunfermline#37,431conspirator#37,395familiarize#37,454

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

desalination18 variantscarcinogenic18 variantscandlestick18 variantswalkthrough18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list