discretionary

/dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/

//dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi// adj

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

"discretionary" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“discretionary” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,611. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,611
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.

Key facts for discretionary
PropertyValue
Headworddiscretionary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/
Letters13
Frequency rank#20,611
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “discretionary” 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). discretionary lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around discretionary (IPA /dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,611 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for discretionary, with forms such as "ddiscretionary", "dicsretionary", and "disccretionary". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From discretion + -ary (“pertaining to”). Compare French discrétionnaire. The correct English form is discretionary, spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.

Etymology

From discretion + -ary (“pertaining to”). Compare French discrétionnaire.

Synonyms

electiveoptional

This word in other languages

discrecional(Español)discrétionnaire(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscretionary
  • dicsretionary
  • disccretionary
  • discertionary
  • discreitonary
  • discretinoary
  • discretioanry
  • discretionarry
  • discretionaryy
  • discretionayr
  • discretionnary
  • discretionray
  • discretoinary
  • discrettionary
  • discrretionary
  • discrteionary
  • disrcetionary
  • disscretionary
  • dsicretionary
  • idscretionary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiscretionary1dicsretionary2disccretionary1discertionary2discreitonary2discretinoary2discretioanry2discretionarry1
Edit distance from "discretionary"

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 "discretionary"?
"discretionary" is spelled D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/.
What does "discretionary" mean?
As an adjective, "discretionary" means: Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.
What are common misspellings of "discretionary"?
Common misspellings include "ddiscretionary", "dicsretionary", "disccretionary", "discertionary", "discreitonary". The correct spelling is "discretionary".
How do you pronounce "discretionary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discretionary" is /dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/. 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 "discretionary"?
From discretion + -ary (“pertaining to”). Compare French discrétionnaire. 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.

Using “discretionary”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-C-R-E-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈskɹɛʃən(ə)ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list