distracted

/dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/

//dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd// adj

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

"distracted" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“distracted” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,534. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,534
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - having one's attention diverted; preoccupied; distrait (literary)

Corpus desk

Index EN-distracted · distracted · English

distracted · rank #8,534 · 16 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,534
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dem

Nearest frequency peer: dem (-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 “distracted”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “distracted” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

distracted vs distract
80% similar
distracted vs disgraced
80% similar

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

Key facts for distracted
PropertyValue
Headworddistracted
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#8,534
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “distracted”

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).distractedlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “dem” (#8,533), “DM” (#8,535), “critically” (#8,532). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “distracted” is #8,534. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around distracted (IPA /dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #8,534 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for distracted, with forms such as "ddistracted", "disrtacted", and "disstracted". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "distract", "disgraced", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is distracted, spelled D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    having one's attention diverted; preoccupied; distrait (literary)
  2. 2
    distraught

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Plenty of accidents happened with a look-out present but momentarily distracted.
  2. Runs about the house like a distracted person crying and making a most hideous noise.

This word in other languages

distraído(Español)distrait(Français)abgelenkt(Deutsch)distraído(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddistracted
  • disrtacted
  • disstracted
  • distarcted
  • distraccted
  • distracetd
  • distractde
  • distractedd
  • distractted
  • distratced
  • distrcated
  • distrracted
  • disttracted
  • ditsracted
  • dsitracted
  • idstracted

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddistracted1disrtacted2disstracted1distarcted2distraccted1distracetd2distractde2distractedd1
Edit distance from "distracted"

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 "distracted"?
"distracted" is spelled D-I-S-T-R-A-C-T-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/.
What does "distracted" mean?
As an adjective, "distracted" means: having one's attention diverted; preoccupied; distrait (literary)
What words are commonly confused with "distracted"?
"distracted" is commonly confused with "distract", "disgraced". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "distracted"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distracted" is /dɪˈstɹæk.tɪd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "distracted" come from?
"distracted" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 "distracted", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

critically#8,532confession#8,527comprising#8,526committing#8,525

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

adjustment16 variantscontracted16 variantshypothesis16 variantstrafficking16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list