duplicitous

/djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/

//djʊˈplɪsɪtəs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“duplicitous” is uncommon English (frequency #58,655 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,655
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.

Key facts for duplicitous
PropertyValue
Headwordduplicitous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/
Letters11
Frequency rank#58,655
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “duplicitous” 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). duplicitous lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

duplicitous is uncommon English at frequency #58,655 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.".

duplicitous has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From duplicity + -ous. The correct English form is duplicitous, spelled D-U-P-L-I-C-I-T-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.

Etymology

From duplicity + -ous.

Synonyms

deceitfuldouble-dealingtwo-faced

This word in other languages

engañoso(Español)fourbe(Français)heuchlerisch(Deutsch)fraudulento(Português)

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 "duplicitous"?
"duplicitous" is spelled D-U-P-L-I-C-I-T-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/.
What does "duplicitous" mean?
As an adjective, "duplicitous" means: Given to or marked by deliberate deceptiveness in behavior or speech.
How do you pronounce "duplicitous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "duplicitous" is /djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/. 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 "duplicitous"?
From duplicity + -ous. 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 “duplicitous”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-P-L-I-C-I-T-O-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /djʊˈplɪsɪtəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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