destroy

/dɪˈstɹɔɪ/

//dɪˈstɹɔɪ// verb

The verdict

“destroy” is a moderately-common Portuguese word, ranked #42,410 in Portuguese word frequency and used as a verb.

#42,410
frequency rank, Portuguese
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

destroy vs dentro
71% similar
destroy vs destro
86% similar

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

Key facts for destroy
PropertyValue
Headworddestroy
LanguagePortuguese
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪˈstɹɔɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,410
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “destroy” sits in Portuguese 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). destroy 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 Portuguese entry for destroy is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #42,410 in overall Portuguese word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "destruir".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for destroy, with forms such as "ddestroy", "desrtoy", and "desstroy". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "dentro", "destro", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Portuguese form is destroy, spelled D-E-S-T-R-O-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    destruir

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddestroy,desrtoy,desstroy,destory,destroyy,destrroy,destryo,desttroy,detsroy,dsetroy,edstroy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddestroy1desrtoy2desstroy1destory2destroyy1destrroy1destryo2desttroy1
Edit distance from "destroy"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "destroy"?
"destroy" is spelled D-E-S-T-R-O-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/.
What does "destroy" mean?
As a verb, "destroy" means: destruir
What words are commonly confused with "destroy"?
"destroy" is commonly confused with "dentro", "destro". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "destroy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "destroy" is /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "destroy" come from?
"destroy" is a Portuguese word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “destroy”

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

  • The one correct Portuguese spelling is D-E-S-T-R-O-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪˈstɹɔɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dentro” - see the side-by-side comparison. destroy vs dentro
  • Browse more Portuguese words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Portuguese 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