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
3,470
“D” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Available at one's discretion; able to be used as one chooses; left to or regulated by one's own discretion or judgment.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discretionary · discretionary · English

discretionary · rank #20,611 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,611
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dialects

Nearest frequency peer: dialects (-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 “discretionary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discretionary” 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
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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discretionary”

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).discretionarylands 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 “dialects” (#20,610), “dismal” (#20,612), “DHS” (#20,609). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discretionary” is #20,611. 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 3,470 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. discretionary income
  2. discretionary powers

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "discretionary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dissemination#20,615decomposition#20,604privatization#20,466mitochondrial#20,432

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

gratification20 variantsCharlottesville20 variantsinterconnected20 variantsthunderstorm20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list