drawback

/ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/

//ˈdɹɔːˌbæk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“drawback” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,063. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,063
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.

Corpus desk

Index EN-drawback · drawback · English

drawback · rank #22,063 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,063
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Dominique

Nearest frequency peer: Dominique (-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 “drawback”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “drawback” 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 drawback
PropertyValue
Headworddrawback
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#22,063
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “drawback”

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).drawbacklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Dominique” (#22,062), “Doherty” (#22,060), “EDM” (#22,066). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “drawback” is #22,063. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around drawback (IPA /ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #22,063 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for drawback, with forms such as "darwback", "ddrawback", and "drabwack". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From draw + back. Compare setback. The correct English form is drawback, spelled D-R-A-W-B-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.
  2. 2
    A partial refund of an import fee, as when goods are re-exported from the country that collected the fee.
  3. 3
    The inhalation of a lungful of smoke from a cigarette, viewed as a skill of the practised smoker.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Poor fuel economy is a common drawback among larger vehicles.
  2. East-India goods, not specifically and particularly rated, are to be liable to duties and drawbacks on the value, to be taken by the gross price at the company's public sales.

Etymology

From draw + back. Compare setback.

This word in other languages

desventaja(Español)inconvénient(Français)Nachteil(Deutsch)desvantagem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • darwback
  • ddrawback
  • drabwack
  • drawabck
  • drawbacck
  • drawbackk
  • drawbakc
  • drawbback
  • drawbcak
  • drawwback
  • drrawback
  • drwaback
  • rdawback

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

darwback2ddrawback1drabwack2drawabck2drawbacck1drawbackk1drawbakc2drawbback1
Edit distance from "drawback"

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 "drawback"?
"drawback" is spelled D-R-A-W-B-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/.
What does "drawback" mean?
As a noun, "drawback" means: A disadvantage; something that detracts or takes away.
What are common misspellings of "drawback"?
Common misspellings include "darwback", "ddrawback", "drabwack", "drawabck", "drawbacck". The correct spelling is "drawback".
How do you pronounce "drawback"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drawback" is /ˈdɹɔːˌbæk/. 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 "drawback"?
From draw + back. Compare setback. 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 "drawback", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

eloquent#22,069eminence#22,070deformed#22,055crusader#22,050

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

elliptical13 variantsequatorial13 variantscrickets13 variantsfairytale13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list