downgrade

/ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/

//ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd// noun

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

"downgrade" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“downgrade” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,495. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,495
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.

Corpus desk

Index EN-downgrade · downgrade · English

downgrade · rank #21,495 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,495
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Donnelly

Nearest frequency peer: Donnelly (-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 “downgrade”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “downgrade” 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 downgrade
PropertyValue
Headworddowngrade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#21,495
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “downgrade”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).downgradelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Donnelly” (#21,494), “dreamy” (#21,496), “domino” (#21,493). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “downgrade” is #21,495. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around downgrade (IPA /ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,495 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for downgrade, with forms such as "ddowngrade", "donwgrade", and "dowgnrade". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From down- + grade. The correct English form is downgrade, spelled D-O-W-N-G-R-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.
  2. 2
    A downhill gradient on a road or railway.
  3. 3
    A reduction in quality; a descent towards an inferior state.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [...] dynamic braking is fitted to the 99-ton, 55 ft.-long locomotives to help control these otherwise vacuum-braked trains on the long, continuous downgrades encountered on the coastal route.
  2. Near-synonyms: degradation, worsening, deterioration

Etymology

From down- + grade.

This word in other languages

desmejora(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddowngrade
  • donwgrade
  • dowgnrade
  • downgarde
  • downggrade
  • downgradde
  • downgraed
  • downgrdae
  • downgrrade
  • downngrade
  • downrgade
  • dowwngrade
  • dwongrade
  • odwngrade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of downgrade - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddowngrade1donwgrade2dowgnrade2downgarde2downggrade1downgradde1downgraed2downgrdae2
Edit distance from "downgrade"

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 "downgrade"?
"downgrade" is spelled D-O-W-N-G-R-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/.
What does "downgrade" mean?
As a noun, "downgrade" means: A reduction of a rating, as a financial or credit rating.
What are common misspellings of "downgrade"?
Common misspellings include "ddowngrade", "donwgrade", "dowgnrade", "downgarde", "downggrade". The correct spelling is "downgrade".
How do you pronounce "downgrade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "downgrade" is /ˈdaʊnˌɡɹeɪd/. 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 "downgrade"?
From down- + grade. 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 "downgrade", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

embryonic#21,507formulate#21,519glorified#21,528ingenuity#21,548

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

filmmaking14 variantsgracefully14 variantsWoodlands14 variantsMacArthur14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list