subtract
/səbˈtɹækt/
"subtract" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“subtract” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,600 in English word frequency and used as a verb.
- #25,600
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To remove or reduce; especially to reduce a quantity or number.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | subtract |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /səbˈtɹækt/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #25,600 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “subtract” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for subtract is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /səbˈtɹækt/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,600 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To remove or reduce; especially to reduce a quantity or number.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for subtract, with forms such as "sbutract", "ssubtract", and "subbtract". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin subtractus, perfect passive participle of subtrahō (“I draw from beneath; withdraw, remove”); from sub (“under”) + trahō (“I draw, pull, drag”). The correct English form is subtract, spelled S-U-B-T-R-A-C-T.
Definition
- 1To remove or reduce; especially to reduce a quantity or number.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin subtractus, perfect passive participle of subtrahō (“I draw from beneath; withdraw, remove”); from sub (“under”) + trahō (“I draw, pull, drag”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: sbutract,ssubtract,subbtract,subrtact,subtarct,subtracct,subtractt,subtratc,subtrcat,subtrract,subttract,sutbract,usbtract
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of subtract - 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.
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 "subtract"?
What does "subtract" mean?
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Using “subtract”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-U-B-T-R-A-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /səbˈtɹækt/ (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
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.