discriminate

/dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/

//dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt// verb

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

"discriminate" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“discriminate” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,742. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,742
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make distinctions.

Corpus desk

Index EN-discriminate · discriminate · English

discriminate · rank #14,742 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,742
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disciplined

Nearest frequency peer: disciplined (-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 “discriminate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “discriminate” 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 discriminate
PropertyValue
Headworddiscriminate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/
Letters12
Frequency rank#14,742
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “discriminate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).discriminatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “disciplined” (#14,741), “diligence” (#14,740), “diversion” (#14,744). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “discriminate” is #14,742. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around discriminate (IPA /dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,742 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for discriminate, with forms such as "ddiscriminate", "dicsriminate", and "disccriminate". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, division, separa… The correct English form is discriminate, spelled D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make distinctions.
  2. 2
    To treat or affect differently, depending on differences in traits.
  3. 3
    To treat or affect differently, depending on differences in traits.
  4. 4
    To treat or affect differently, depending on differences in traits.
  5. 5
    To set apart as being different; to mark as different; to separate from another by discerning differences; to distinguish.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Since he was color blind he was unable to discriminate between the blue and green bottles.
  2. Low self-esteem can affect both rich and poor people: it doesn't discriminate.

Etymology

First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, division, separation, distinction”), from discernō (“to divide, separate, distinguish, discern”).

Synonyms

distinguishdifferentiatetell apartdisfavor

Antonyms

favor

This word in other languages

discriminar(Español)discriminer(Français)differenzieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddiscriminate
  • dicsriminate
  • disccriminate
  • discirminate
  • discriimnate
  • discrimiante
  • discriminaet
  • discriminatte
  • discriminnate
  • discrimintae
  • discrimminate
  • discrimniate
  • discrmiinate
  • discrriminate
  • disrciminate
  • disscriminate
  • dsicriminate
  • idscriminate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddiscriminate1dicsriminate2disccriminate1discirminate2discriimnate2discrimiante2discriminaet2discriminatte1
Edit distance from "discriminate"

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 "discriminate"?
"discriminate" is spelled D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/.
What does "discriminate" mean?
As a verb, "discriminate" means: To make distinctions.
What are common misspellings of "discriminate"?
Common misspellings include "ddiscriminate", "dicsriminate", "disccriminate", "discirminate", "discriimnate". The correct spelling is "discriminate".
How do you pronounce "discriminate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discriminate" is /dɪˈskɹɪm.ɪ.neɪt/. 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 "discriminate"?
First attested in 1615; borrowed from Latin discrīminātus, perfect passive participle of discrīminō (“to divide, separate, distinguish”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from discrīmen (“a space between, divisi... 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 "discriminate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

incidentally#14,770introductory#14,778ridiculously#14,828expenditures#14,530

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

persistence18 variantsencyclopedia18 variantsastronomical18 variantsfingerprint18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list