discredit

/dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/

//dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“discredit” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,060. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,060
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To harm the good reputation of (a person).

Corpus desk

Index EN-discredit · discredit · English

discredit · rank #18,060 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,060
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diagonal

Nearest frequency peer: diagonal (-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 “discredit”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discredit” 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).

discredit vs discreet
78% similar
discredit vs discredited
82% similar

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

Key facts for discredit
PropertyValue
Headworddiscredit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,060
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discredit”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).discreditlands 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 “diagonal” (#18,059), “Dodd” (#18,061), “deductible” (#18,058). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discredit” is #18,060. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around discredit (IPA /dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #18,060 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 discredit, with forms such as "ddiscredit", "dicsredit", and "disccredit". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "discreet", "discredited", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dis- + credit. The correct English form is discredit, spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-D-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To harm the good reputation of (a person).
  2. 2
    To cause (an idea or piece of evidence) to seem false or unreliable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The candidate tried to discredit his opponent.
  2. The evidence would tend to discredit such a theory.

Etymology

From dis- + credit.

This word in other languages

descreer(Español)discréditer(Français)diskreditieren(Deutsch)desacreditar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscredit
  • dicsredit
  • disccredit
  • discerdit
  • discrdeit
  • discreddit
  • discreditt
  • discredti
  • discreidt
  • discrredit
  • disrcedit
  • disscredit
  • dsicredit
  • idscredit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiscredit1dicsredit2disccredit1discerdit2discrdeit2discreddit1discreditt1discredti2
Edit distance from "discredit"

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 "discredit"?
"discredit" is spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-D-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/.
What does "discredit" mean?
As a verb, "discredit" means: To harm the good reputation of (a person).
What words are commonly confused with "discredit"?
"discredit" is commonly confused with "discreet", "discredited". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "discredit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discredit" is /dɪsˈkɹɛd.ɪt/. 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 "discredit"?
From dis- + credit. 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 "discredit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

crippling#18,052equitable#18,070faculties#18,075Fernandez#18,077

Similar misspelling depth

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

handshake14 variantsinsertion14 variantsanarchist14 variantsJacqueline14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list