dab

/dæb/

//dæb// verb

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

"dab" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dab” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,056 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#19,056
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dab vs do
33% similar
dab vs Dr
0% similar
dab vs de
33% similar

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

Key facts for dab
PropertyValue
Headworddab
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dæb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#19,056
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dab” 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). dab 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 English entry for dab is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dæb/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,056 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for dab in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "do", "Dr", "de", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse… The correct English form is dab, spelled D-A-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.
  2. 2
    To apply a substance in this way.
  3. 3
    To strike by a thrust; to hit with a sudden blow or thrust.
  4. 4
    To apply hash oil to a heated surface for the purpose of efficient combustion.
  5. 5
    To perform the dab dance move; to move both arms, parallel with one's head, to either side of the body.
  6. 6
    Synonym of daub (to mark a bingo card)

Etymology

From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(of a horse) to stamp with the forelegs”)), Dutch deppen (“to dab”), possibly German tappen (“to fumble, grope”). The noun is from Middle English dabbe (“a strike, blow”), from the verb. Related to tap. Compare also drub, dub. African-American sense of “playful box” perhaps influenced by dap (“fistbump”).

This word in other languages

tapoter(Français)tupfen(Deutsch)

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 "dab"?
"dab" is spelled D-A-B. The IPA pronunciation is /dæb/.
What does "dab" mean?
As a verb, "dab" means: To press lightly in a repetitive motion with a soft object without rubbing.
What words are commonly confused with "dab"?
"dab" is commonly confused with "do", "Dr", "de". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dab"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dab" is /dæb/. 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 "dab"?
From Middle English dabben (“to strike”), probably of North Germanic origin, related to Old Icelandic dabba (“to tap, slap”), perhaps ultimately imitative. Compare also with Middle Dutch dabben (“to pinch, knead, fumble, dabble”) (Dutch dabben (“(... 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 “dab”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-A-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dæb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “do” - see the side-by-side comparison. dab vs do
  • 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list