discourse

/ˈdɪs.kɔːs/

//ˈdɪs.kɔːs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“discourse” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,168. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,168
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Verbal exchange, conversation.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discourse · discourse · English

discourse · rank #9,168 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,168
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH differential

Nearest frequency peer: differential (-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 “discourse”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discourse” 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).

discourse vs discourage
80% similar

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

Key facts for discourse
PropertyValue
Headworddiscourse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪs.kɔːs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#9,168
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discourse”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).discourselands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “differential” (#9,167), “Diane” (#9,166), “dominance” (#9,170). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discourse” is #9,168. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around discourse (IPA /ˈdɪs.kɔːs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #9,168 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for discourse, with forms such as "ddiscourse", "dicsourse", and "disccourse". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "discourage", 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 discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence of Middle … The correct English form is discourse, spelled D-I-S-C-O-U-R-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Verbal exchange, conversation.
  2. 2
    Expression in words, either speech or writing.
  3. 3
    A conversation.
  4. 4
    A formal lengthy exposition of some subject, either spoken or written.
  5. 5
    Any rational expression, reason.
  6. 6
    An institutionalized way of thinking, a social boundary defining what can be said about a specific topic (after Michel Foucault).
  7. 7
    Lengthy, often heated debate over controversial subject matter, particularly within fandom and activist spaces. Sometimes rendered as a proper noun with the definite article (i.e. "the Discourse").
  8. 8
    Dealing; transaction.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. UUho when he ſhal embrace you in his arms UUil tell how many thouſand men he ſlew. And when you looke for amorous diſcourſe, Will rattle foorth his facts of war and blood: […]
  2. Two or three of the gentlemen sat near him, and I caught at times scraps of their conversation across the room. At first I could not make much sense of what I heard; for the discourse of Louisa Eshton and Mary Ingram, who sat nearer to me, confused the fragmentary sentences that reached me at intervals.

Etymology

From Middle English discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence of Middle French cours (“course”). Doublet of discursus.

Synonyms

communicationexpressiondebateconversationdiscussiontalkdissertationlecturesermonstudytreatiseratiocinationnormOverton window

This word in other languages

discurso(Español)discours(Français)Diskurs(Deutsch)discurso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscourse
  • dicsourse
  • disccourse
  • discoruse
  • discoures
  • discourrse
  • discoursse
  • discousre
  • discuorse
  • disocurse
  • disscourse
  • dsicourse
  • idscourse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of discourse - 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.

ddiscourse1dicsourse2disccourse1discoruse2discoures2discourrse1discoursse1discousre2
Edit distance from "discourse"

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 "discourse"?
"discourse" is spelled D-I-S-C-O-U-R-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪs.kɔːs/.
What does "discourse" mean?
As a noun, "discourse" means: Verbal exchange, conversation.
What words are commonly confused with "discourse"?
"discourse" is commonly confused with "discourage". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "discourse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discourse" is /ˈdɪs.kɔːs/. 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 "discourse"?
From Middle English discours, borrowed from Middle French discours (“conversation, speech”), from Latin discursus (“the act of running about”), from Latin discurrō (“run about”), from dis- (“apart”) + currō (“run”). Spelling modified by influence ... 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 "discourse", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dominance#9,170declining#9,161entertain#9,175fireworks#9,178

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

crushing13 variantsChurchill13 variantscharities13 variantsKatherine13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list