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Detoriate or deteriorate?

Did you mean deteriorate? Here's the right spelling and how to remember it.

Incorrect

detoriate

Correct

deteriorate

Letter by letter
CorrectWrong

Correct spelling: deteriorate. Misspelling: detoriate.

letters the misspelling gets wrong or leaves out letters that shouldn't be there

Memory tip

Say all five syllables: de-TE-RI-OR-ate.

Why people write “detoriate”

“detoriate” differs from “deteriorate” in 3 places: it writes O where deteriorate has E, an easy slip because in an unstressed syllable both vowels can sound like the same soft "uh"; it leaves out the O; and it leaves out the R.

Spell-checkers catch the mistake in a document, but not in a handwritten note, a text message or a word game. Writing the word out a few times while saying the tricky part aloud is the quickest way to make deteriorate automatic.

What does “deteriorate” mean?

deteriorate verb

  1. become worse or disintegrate

    “His mind deteriorated”

  2. grow worse

    “Her condition deteriorated”

    Synonyms:devolvedropdegenerate

Definitions from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Full dictionary entry

“Deteriorate” in a sentence

  • The weather is expected to deteriorate later.
  • His mind deteriorated.
  • Her condition deteriorated.

Is “deteriorate” a playable word?

d 2e 1t 1e 1r 1i 1o 1r 1a 1t 1e 1

12 points in Scrabble · 12 in Words With Friends

  • Scrabble (US)
  • Scrabble (UK)
  • Words With Friends

“detoriate” is not accepted in any of these games. See every word you can make from DETERIORATE.

Deteriorate: quick answers

Is it detoriate or deteriorate?
The correct spelling is deteriorate. “detoriate” is a misspelling: it does not appear in standard dictionaries or in the Scrabble and Words With Friends word lists.
How can I remember how to spell deteriorate?
Say all five syllables: de-TE-RI-OR-ate.
What does deteriorate mean?
Deteriorate means: become worse or disintegrate.