distressing

/dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ/

//dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ// adj

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

"distressing" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“distressing” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,356. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,356
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Causing distress; upsetting; distressful.

Corpus desk

Index EN-distressing · distressing · English

distressing · rank #22,356 · 16 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,356
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diff

Nearest frequency peer: diff (-2 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 “distressing”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “distressing” 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 distressing
PropertyValue
Headworddistressing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ/
Letters11
Frequency rank#22,356
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “distressing”

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).distressinglands 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 “diff” (#22,354), “downtime” (#22,358), “Dhaka” (#22,353). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “distressing” is #22,356. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around distressing (IPA /dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #22,356 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Causing distress; upsetting; distressful.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for distressing, with forms such as "ddistressing", "disrtessing", and "disstressing". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is distressing, spelled D-I-S-T-R-E-S-S-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Causing distress; upsetting; distressful.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The details of the ordeal can be distressing to some readers.
  2. One end of the east-west building is wet, the other windy, and at present there is smoke abounding, too; but these distressing yard elements can be completely excluded at each end by full-width folding doors [...].

This word in other languages

angustioso(Español)beängstigend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddistressing
  • disrtessing
  • disstressing
  • disterssing
  • distresing
  • distresisng
  • distressign
  • distressingg
  • distressinng
  • distressnig
  • distrressing
  • distrsesing
  • disttressing
  • ditsressing
  • dsitressing
  • idstressing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddistressing1disrtessing2disstressing1disterssing2distresing1distresisng2distressign2distressingg1
Edit distance from "distressing"

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 "distressing"?
"distressing" is spelled D-I-S-T-R-E-S-S-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ/.
What does "distressing" mean?
As an adjective, "distressing" means: Causing distress; upsetting; distressful.
What are common misspellings of "distressing"?
Common misspellings include "ddistressing", "disrtessing", "disstressing", "disterssing", "distresing". The correct spelling is "distressing".
How do you pronounce "distressing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "distressing" is /dɪˈstɹɛsɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "distressing" come from?
"distressing" 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 "distressing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

enlargement#22,363Christensen#22,323cauliflower#22,314intertwined#22,411

Similar misspelling depth

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

deplorable16 variantsconformity16 variantshypotheses16 variantsjudgmental16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list