doctrine

/ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/

//ˈdɒk.tɹɪn// noun

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

"doctrine" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“doctrine” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,337 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,337
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A belief or tenet, especially about philosophical or theological matters.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

doctrine vs doctrines
89% similar
doctrine vs doctrinal
78% similar

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

Key facts for doctrine
PropertyValue
Headworddoctrine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,337
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doctrine” 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). doctrine 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 doctrine is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,337 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for doctrine, with forms such as "dcotrine", "ddoctrine", and "docctrine". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "doctrines", "doctrinal", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin doctrina (“teaching, instruction, learning, knowledge”), from doctor (“a teacher”), from docere (“to teach”); see doctor. The correct English form is doctrine, spelled D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A belief or tenet, especially about philosophical or theological matters.
  2. 2
    The body of teachings of an ideology, most often a religion, or of an ideological or religious leader, organization, group, or text.
  3. 3
    A self-imposed policy governing some aspect of a country's foreign relations, especially regarding what sort of behavior it will or will not tolerate from other countries.

Etymology

From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin doctrina (“teaching, instruction, learning, knowledge”), from doctor (“a teacher”), from docere (“to teach”); see doctor.

This word in other languages

doctrina(Español)doctrine(Français)Doktrin(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dcotrine,ddoctrine,docctrine,docrtine,doctirne,doctrien,doctrinne,doctrnie,doctrrine,docttrine,dotcrine,odctrine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dcotrine2ddoctrine1docctrine1docrtine2doctirne2doctrien2doctrinne1doctrnie2
Edit distance from "doctrine"

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 "doctrine"?
"doctrine" is spelled D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/.
What does "doctrine" mean?
As a noun, "doctrine" means: A belief or tenet, especially about philosophical or theological matters.
What words are commonly confused with "doctrine"?
"doctrine" is commonly confused with "doctrines", "doctrinal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "doctrine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "doctrine" is /ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/. 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 "doctrine"?
From Middle English, from Old French, from Latin doctrina (“teaching, instruction, learning, knowledge”), from doctor (“a teacher”), from docere (“to teach”); see doctor. 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 “doctrine”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-C-T-R-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɒk.tɹɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “doctrines” - see the side-by-side comparison. doctrine vs doctrines
  • 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