detail

\ˈdi.teɪl\

/\ˈdi.teɪl\/ noun

The verdict

“detail” is a moderately-common French word, ranked #35,895 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,895
frequency rank, French
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Détail.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

detail vs deuil
67% similar
detail vs devil
67% similar
detail vs devait
67% similar

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

Key facts for detail
PropertyValue
Headworddetail
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ˈdi.teɪl\
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,895
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “detail” sits in French 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). detail 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 French entry for detail is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ˈdi.teɪl\. Corpus data places it at rank #35,895 in overall French word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Détail.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for detail, with forms such as "ddetail", "deatil", and "detaill". 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. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "deuil", "devil", "devait", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct French form is detail, spelled D-E-T-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Détail.

Synonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddetail,deatil,detaill,detali,detial,dettail,dteail,edtail

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddetail1deatil2detaill1detali2detial2dettail1dteail2edtail2
Edit distance from "detail"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "detail"?
"detail" is spelled D-E-T-A-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈdi.teɪl\.
What does "detail" mean?
As a noun, "detail" means: Détail.
What words are commonly confused with "detail"?
"detail" is commonly confused with "deuil", "devil", "devait". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "detail"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "detail" is \ˈdi.teɪl\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "detail" come from?
"detail" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “detail”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-E-T-A-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈdi.teɪl\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “deuil” - see the side-by-side comparison. detail vs deuil
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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