discretion

/dɪˈskɹɛʃən/

//dɪˈskɹɛʃən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“discretion” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,272. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,272
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality of being discreet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discretion · discretion · English

discretion · rank #8,272 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,272
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH ditch

Nearest frequency peer: ditch (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “discretion”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “discretion” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for discretion
PropertyValue
Headworddiscretion
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪˈskɹɛʃən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#8,272
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “discretion” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).discretion lands 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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around discretion (IPA /dɪˈskɹɛʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,272 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for discretion, with forms such as "ddiscretion", "dicsretion", and "disccretion". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English discrecioun, from Old French discretion, from Late Latin discrētiō, from Latin discerno. Equivalent to discreet + -ion. The correct English form is discretion, spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being discreet.
  2. 2
    The ability to make wise choices or decisions.
  3. 3
    The freedom to make one's own judgements.
  4. 4
    The freedom to make one's own judgements.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Bob showed great discretion despite his knowledge of the affair.
  2. With regard to a woman, at nine years of age, she was, if married, considered entitled to her dower; at twelve, she may consent to marriage; at fourteen, she is at years of discretion, and may choose a guardian; […]

Etymology

From Middle English discrecioun, from Old French discretion, from Late Latin discrētiō, from Latin discerno. Equivalent to discreet + -ion.

Antonyms

indiscretion

This word in other languages

discreción(Español)discrétion(Français)Diskretion(Deutsch)critério(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscretion
  • dicsretion
  • disccretion
  • discertion
  • discreiton
  • discresion
  • discretino
  • discretionn
  • discretoin
  • discrettion
  • discrretion
  • discrteion
  • disrcetion
  • disscretion
  • dsicretion
  • idscretion

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiscretion1dicsretion2disccretion1discertion2discreiton2discresion1discretino2discretionn1
Edit distance from "discretion"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "discretion"?
"discretion" is spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈskɹɛʃən/.
What does "discretion" mean?
As a noun, "discretion" means: The quality of being discreet.
What are common misspellings of "discretion"?
Common misspellings include "ddiscretion", "dicsretion", "disccretion", "discertion", "discreiton". The correct spelling is "discretion".
How do you pronounce "discretion"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discretion" is /dɪˈskɹɛʃən/. 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 "discretion"?
From Middle English discrecioun, from Old French discretion, from Late Latin discrētiō, from Latin discerno. Equivalent to discreet + -ion. 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 "discretion", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

horizontal#8,299inevitably#8,304aggression#8,233McDonald's#8,315

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

individually16 variantspersistent16 variantsprogression16 variantssettlements16 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "discretion". Here's where to go from here.

  • 16 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #8,272 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list