daddy longlegs
/ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/
"daddy-longlegs" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“daddy longlegs” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.
Corpus desk
Index EN-daddy-longlegs · daddy longlegs · English
daddy longlegs · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | daddy longlegs |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “daddy longlegs” in English
Rare enough to double-check
daddy longlegs is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdædɪ ˈlɒŋ(ɡ)lɛɡz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for daddy longlegs, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From daddy + longlegs. First attested in 1810s. Preceded by father longlegs, attested from 1740s. The correct English form is daddy longlegs, spelled D-A-D-D-Y- -L-O-N-G-L-E-G-S.
Definition
- 1The cranefly; any insect of the suborder Tipulomorpha.
- 2Any (non-spider) arachnid of the order Opiliones, mostly with long thin legs.
- 3The daddy long-legs spider, any spider of the family Pholcidae.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how daddy longlegs appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Daddy longlegs adults are weak flyers, falling onto the water surface in the lightest of breezes, and even on calm days.
Unlike spiders, daddy longlegs do not have a clearly marked division between thorax and abdomen. They are further distinguished from spiders in that they do not produce venom or silk.
Etymology
From daddy + longlegs. First attested in 1810s. Preceded by father longlegs, attested from 1740s.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.