discrimination

/dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/

//dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən// noun

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

"discrimination" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“discrimination” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,225 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,225
frequency rank, English
14
letters
22
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

discrimination vs discriminating
86% similar

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

Key facts for discrimination
PropertyValue
Headworddiscrimination
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/
Letters14
Frequency rank#4,225
Misspellings tracked22
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “discrimination” 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). discrimination lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for discrimination is 14 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,225 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 22 likely wrong-spelling variants for discrimination, with forms such as "ddiscrimination", "dicsrimination", and "disccrimination". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "discriminating", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin discrīminātiō, discrīminātiōnem, the action noun to discrīminō, discrīmināre (“distinguish”). Equivalent to discriminate + -ion. In English use from the 17th century. The correct English form is discrimination, spelled D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.
  2. 2
    Differential treatment of an individual or group to their disadvantage; treatment or consideration based on class or category rather than individual merit; partiality; prejudice; bigotry.
  3. 3
    The quality of being discriminating; acute discernment, especially in matters of good taste.
  4. 4
    That which discriminates; a distinguishing mark, a characteristic.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin discrīminātiō, discrīminātiōnem, the action noun to discrīminō, discrīmināre (“distinguish”). Equivalent to discriminate + -ion. In English use from the 17th century.

This word in other languages

discriminación(Español)discrimination(Français)Diskriminierung(Deutsch)discriminação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddiscrimination,dicsrimination,disccrimination,discirmination,discriimnation,discrimiantion,discriminaiton,discriminasion,discriminatino,discriminationn,discriminatoin,discriminattion,discriminnation,discrimintaion,discrimmination,discrimniation,discrmiination,discrrimination,disrcimination,disscrimination,dsicrimination,idscrimination

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of discrimination - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddiscrimination1dicsrimination2disccrimination1discirmination2discriimnation2discrimiantion2discriminaiton2discriminasion1
Edit distance from "discrimination"

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 "discrimination"?
"discrimination" is spelled D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/.
What does "discrimination" mean?
As a noun, "discrimination" means: Discernment, the act of discriminating, discerning, distinguishing, noting or perceiving differences between things, with the intent to understand rightly and make correct decisions.
What words are commonly confused with "discrimination"?
"discrimination" is commonly confused with "discriminating". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "discrimination"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "discrimination" is /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/. 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 "discrimination"?
Learned borrowing from Latin discrīminātiō, discrīminātiōnem, the action noun to discrīminō, discrīmināre (“distinguish”). Equivalent to discriminate + -ion. In English use from the 17th century. 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 “discrimination”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-C-R-I-M-I-N-A-T-I-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪskɹɪmɪˈneɪʃən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “discriminating” - see the side-by-side comparison. discrimination vs discriminating
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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