distraught

/dɪsˈtɹɔːt/

//dɪsˈtɹɔːt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“distraught” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,809. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,809
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; incapacitated by distress.

Corpus desk

Index EN-distraught · distraught · English

distraught · rank #23,809 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,809
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disorderly

Nearest frequency peer: disorderly (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “distraught”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “distraught” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for distraught
PropertyValue
Headworddistraught
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪsˈtɹɔːt/
Letters10
Frequency rank#23,809
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “distraught” sits in English frequency

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).distraughtlands 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 “disorderly” (#23,808), “discredited” (#23,807), “Dogg” (#23,811). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around distraught (IPA /dɪsˈtɹɔːt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #23,809 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 distraught, with forms such as "ddistraught", "disrtaught", and "disstraught". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English distraught, blend of distract (“distracted”) and straught (“stretched, distraught”), past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”). Compare also bestraught, extraught, forstraught, etc. More at distract, stretch. The correct English form is distraught, spelled D-I-S-T-R-A-U-G-H-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; incapacitated by distress.
  2. 2
    Mad; insane.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His distraught widow cried for days, feeling very alone.
  2. […]Karius was a danger to his own team, responsible for Madrid’s two other goals and last seen wandering aimlessly around the pitch – alone, distraught and clearly traumatised – to ask forgiveness, hands clasped, from the thousands of Liverpool supporters.

Etymology

From Middle English distraught, blend of distract (“distracted”) and straught (“stretched, distraught”), past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”). Compare also bestraught, extraught, forstraught, etc. More at distract, stretch.

This word in other languages

perturbado(Español)affolé(Français)verstört(Deutsch)abalado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddistraught
  • disrtaught
  • disstraught
  • distarught
  • distraguht
  • distraugght
  • distraughht
  • distraughtt
  • distraugth
  • distrauhgt
  • distrraught
  • distruaght
  • disttraught
  • ditsraught
  • dsitraught
  • idstraught

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddistraught1disrtaught2disstraught1distarught2distraguht2distraugght1distraughht1distraughtt1
Edit distance from "distraught"

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 "distraught"?
"distraught" is spelled D-I-S-T-R-A-U-G-H-T. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪsˈtɹɔːt/.
What does "distraught" mean?
As an adjective, "distraught" means: Deeply hurt, saddened, or worried; incapacitated by distress.
What are common misspellings of "distraught"?
Common misspellings include "ddistraught", "disrtaught", "disstraught", "distarught", "distraguht". The correct spelling is "distraught".
How do you pronounce "distraught"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distraught" is /dɪsˈtɹɔːt/. 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 "distraught"?
From Middle English distraught, blend of distract (“distracted”) and straught (“stretched, distraught”), past participle of strecchen (“to stretch”). Compare also bestraught, extraught, forstraught, etc. More at distract, stretch. 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 "distraught", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

disorderly#23,808embankment#23,818enchanting#23,823corrugated#23,791

Similar misspelling depth

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

circumvent16 variantshyperbolic16 variantsmarshmallow16 variantsmischievous16 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "distraught". Here's where to go from here.

  • 16 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #23,809 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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