divert

/daɪˈvɜːt/

//daɪˈvɜːt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“divert” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,694. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,694
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To turn aside from a course.

Corpus desk

Index EN-divert · divert · English

divert · rank #16,694 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,694
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diva

Nearest frequency peer: diva (-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 “divert”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “divert” 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).

divert vs Dover
50% similar
divert vs dives
67% similar
divert vs duvet
67% similar

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

Key facts for divert
PropertyValue
Headworddivert
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/daɪˈvɜːt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,694
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “divert”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).divertlands 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 “diva” (#16,693), “DLC” (#16,695), “disparity” (#16,692). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “divert” is #16,694. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around divert (IPA /daɪˈvɜːt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #16,694 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for divert, with forms such as "ddivert", "dievrt", and "diverrt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Dover", "dives", "duvet", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse. The correct English form is divert, spelled D-I-V-E-R-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To turn aside from a course.
  2. 2
    To distract.
  3. 3
    To entertain or amuse (by diverting the attention)
  4. 4
    To turn aside; to digress.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The workers diverted the stream away from the road.
  2. Many of the remaining trains have been retimed and where possible freight trains have also been diverted to alternative routes.

Etymology

From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse.

Synonyms

offlead

This word in other languages

desviar(Español)dévier(Français)umlenken(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddivert
  • dievrt
  • diverrt
  • divertt
  • divetr
  • divret
  • divvert
  • dviert
  • idvert

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddivert1dievrt2diverrt1divertt1divetr2divret2divvert1dviert2
Edit distance from "divert"

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 "divert"?
"divert" is spelled D-I-V-E-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /daɪˈvɜːt/.
What does "divert" mean?
As a verb, "divert" means: To turn aside from a course.
What words are commonly confused with "divert"?
"divert" is commonly confused with "Dover", "dives", "duvet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "divert"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "divert" is /daɪˈvɜːt/. 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 "divert"?
From Middle English diverten, Old French divertir (“to turn or go different ways, part, separate, divert”), from Latin di- (“apart”) + vertere (“to turn”); see verse. 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 "divert", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

devoid#16,688decker#16,682facade#16,706filler#16,709

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

fishes9 variantscruises9 variantsGiovanni9 variantslavish9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list