distil

/dɪˈstɪl/

//dɪˈstɪl// verb

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

"distil" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“distil” is an uncommon English word, ranked #90,371 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#90,371
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops.

Key facts for distil
PropertyValue
Headworddistil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈstɪl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#90,371
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “distil” 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). distil 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 distil is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈstɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #90,371 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for distil, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *de From Late Middle English distillen (“to fall, flow, or shed in drops, drop, trickle; to shed drops; to fill (the eyes) with tears; (alchemy, medicine) to subject (something) to distillation; to obtain (something) using distillation; to distil;… The correct English form is distil, spelled D-I-S-T-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops.
  2. 2
    To impart (information, etc.) in small quantities; to infuse.
  3. 3
    To heat (a substance, usually a liquid) so that a vapour is produced, and then to cool the vapour so that it condenses back into a liquid, either to purify the original substance or to obtain one of its components; to subject to distillation.
  4. 4
    Followed by off or out: to expel (a volatile substance) from something by distillation.
  5. 5
    To extract the essence of (something) by, or as if by, distillation; to concentrate, to purify.
  6. 6
    To transform a thing (into something else) by distillation.
  7. 7
    To make (something, especially spirits such as gin and whisky) by distillation.
  8. 8
    To transform a complex large language model into a smaller one.
  9. 9
    To dissolve or melt (something).
  10. 10
    To fall or trickle down in small drops; to exude, to ooze out; also, to come out as a vapour which condenses in small drops.
  11. 11
    To flow or pass gently or slowly; hence (figuratively) to be manifested gently or gradually.
  12. 12
    To drip or be wet with some liquid.
  13. 13
    To turn into a vapour and then condense back into a liquid; to undergo or be produced by distillation.

Etymology

PIE word *de From Late Middle English distillen (“to fall, flow, or shed in drops, drop, trickle; to shed drops; to fill (the eyes) with tears; (alchemy, medicine) to subject (something) to distillation; to obtain (something) using distillation; to distil; to condense or vaporize; (figuratively) to give (good fortune) to; to say (slanderous words)”) [and other forms], from Old French distiller (modern French distiller (“to distil”)), and from its etymon Latin distīllāre, a variant of Latin dēstīllāre, the present active infinitive of dēstīllō (“to drip or trickle down; to distil”), from dē- (prefix meaning ‘down, down from, down to’) + stīllō (“to drip, drop, trickle; to distil”) (from stīlla (“drop of liquid; (figuratively) small quantity”), probably a diminutive of stīria (“ice drop; icicle”)). Cognates * French distiller (“to distil”) * Italian distillare (“to distil”) * Occitan distillar * Portuguese destilar (“to distil; to drip”) * Spanish destilar (“to distil; to exude; to filter”)

This word in other languages

destilar(Español)distiller(Français)destillieren(Deutsch)destilar(Português)

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 "distil"?
"distil" is spelled D-I-S-T-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɪl/.
What does "distil" mean?
As a verb, "distil" means: To exude (a liquid) in small drops; also, to give off (a vapour) which condenses in small drops.
How do you pronounce "distil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distil" is /dɪˈstɪl/. 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 "distil"?
PIE word *de From Late Middle English distillen (“to fall, flow, or shed in drops, drop, trickle; to shed drops; to fill (the eyes) with tears; (alchemy, medicine) to subject (something) to distillation; to obtain (something) using distillation; ... 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 “distil”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-S-T-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈstɪl/ (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
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