discipline

/ˈdɪsɪplɪn/

//ˈdɪsɪplɪn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“discipline” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,847. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,847
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A controlled behaviour; self-control.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discipline · discipline · English

discipline · rank #4,847 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,847
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH directions

Nearest frequency peer: directions (-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 “discipline”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discipline” 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).

discipline vs disciplined
91% similar
discipline vs disciple
80% similar

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

Key facts for discipline
PropertyValue
Headworddiscipline
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪsɪplɪn/
Letters10
Frequency rank#4,847
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discipline”

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).disciplinelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “directions” (#4,846), “discussing” (#4,848), “differently” (#4,845). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discipline” is #4,847. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around discipline (IPA /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,847 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for discipline, with forms such as "ddiscipline", "dicsipline", and "disccipline". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "disciplined", "disciple", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman, from Old French descipline, from Latin disciplina (“instruction”), from discipulus (“pupil”), influenced by disco (“to learn”), from Proto-Indo-European *dek- (“(cause to) accept”). The correct English form is discipline, spelled D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  2. 2
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  3. 3
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  4. 4
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  5. 5
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  6. 6
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  7. 7
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  8. 8
    A controlled behaviour; self-control.
  9. 9
    A specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.
  10. 10
    A specific branch of knowledge, learning, or practice.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The most perfect, who have their passions in the best discipline, are yet obliged to be constantly on their guard.
  2. The masters looked unusually stern, but it was the sternness of thought rather than of discipline.

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman, from Old French descipline, from Latin disciplina (“instruction”), from discipulus (“pupil”), influenced by disco (“to learn”), from Proto-Indo-European *dek- (“(cause to) accept”).

This word in other languages

disciplina(Español)discipline(Français)Disziplin(Deutsch)disciplina(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscipline
  • dicsipline
  • disccipline
  • discilpine
  • discipilne
  • disciplien
  • disciplinne
  • disciplline
  • disciplnie
  • discippline
  • discpiline
  • disicpline
  • disscipline
  • dsicipline
  • idscipline

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiscipline1dicsipline2disccipline1discilpine2discipilne2disciplien2disciplinne1disciplline1
Edit distance from "discipline"

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 "discipline"?
"discipline" is spelled D-I-S-C-I-P-L-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/.
What does "discipline" mean?
As a noun, "discipline" means: A controlled behaviour; self-control.
What words are commonly confused with "discipline"?
"discipline" is commonly confused with "disciplined", "disciple". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "discipline"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discipline" is /ˈdɪsɪplɪn/. 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 "discipline"?
From Middle English [Term?], from Anglo-Norman, from Old French descipline, from Latin disciplina (“instruction”), from discipulus (“pupil”), influenced by disco (“to learn”), from Proto-Indo-European *dek- (“(cause to) accept”). 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 "discipline", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

directions#4,846discussing#4,848disgusting#4,849complaints#4,841

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

explaining15 variantsinstantly15 variantsQueensland15 variantsregulatory15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list