Dalek

/ˈdɑːlɛk/

//ˈdɑːlɛk// noun

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

"dalek" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Dalek” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,675. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,675
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A member of a species of extraterrestrial cyborg mutants who appear in the television programme Doctor Who and are known for travelling in metallic shells, having monotone, mechanically distorted v...

Corpus desk

Index EN-dalek · Dalek · English

Dalek · rank #35,675 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,675
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH cuss

Nearest frequency peer: cuss (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Dalek”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Dalek” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Dalek vs date
40% similar
Dalek vs dark
40% similar
Dalek vs Dave
60% similar

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

Key facts for Dalek
PropertyValue
HeadwordDalek
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɑːlɛk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#35,675
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Dalek”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Daleklands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “cuss” (#35,674), “dauphin” (#35,676), “crescendo” (#35,673). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “Dalek” is #35,675. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around Dalek (IPA /ˈdɑːlɛk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,675 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Dalek, with forms such as "adlek", "daelk", and "dalekk". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "date", "dark", "Dave", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Coined by Terry Nation in 1963 for his script of The Mutants (later retitled "The Daleks"), the second serial of the first season of Doctor Who. Accounts of how he devised the word vary. Within the Doctor Who universe, the word is supposed to be related to … The correct English form is Dalek, spelled D-A-L-E-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A member of a species of extraterrestrial cyborg mutants who appear in the television programme Doctor Who and are known for travelling in metallic shells, having monotone, mechanically distorted voices, repeating a limited number of phrases, and their fanatical obsession with exterminating other, non-Dalek beings.
  2. 2
    One who is dogmatic, unfeeling and determined.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Dalek appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 'But Alydon,' I persisted, 'the Daleks aren't human beings. They're just evil, half creatures, half machines, determined to destroy you.'
  2. […] what kind of courage it must have taken for Hawkins, an actor renowned for the quality of his voice, to go back onto the set to deliver lines in that oesophageal monotone, what he called his "Dalek voice".

Etymology

Coined by Terry Nation in 1963 for his script of The Mutants (later retitled "The Daleks"), the second serial of the first season of Doctor Who. Accounts of how he devised the word vary. Within the Doctor Who universe, the word is supposed to be related to the name of the people from whom the Daleks evolved, either the Kaleds (as according to later serial Genesis of the Daleks) or the Dals (as in The Daleks), or to derive from a word meaning "gods" in their (fictional) language, in which the sacred "Book of Predictions" is written. According to the I, Davros audio fiction the book reads "...and on that day, men will become as gods", with the last word pronounced "Dal-eks".

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • adlek
  • daelk
  • dalekk
  • dalke
  • dallek
  • ddalek
  • dlaek

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adlek2daelk2dalekk1dalke2dallek1ddalek1dlaek2
Edit distance from "Dalek"

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 "Dalek"?
"Dalek" is spelled D-A-L-E-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɑːlɛk/.
What does "Dalek" mean?
As a noun, "Dalek" means: A member of a species of extraterrestrial cyborg mutants who appear in the television programme Doctor Who and are known for travelling in metallic shells, having monotone, mechanically distorted v...
What words are commonly confused with "Dalek"?
"Dalek" is commonly confused with "date", "dark", "Dave". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Dalek"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Dalek" is /ˈdɑːlɛk/. 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 "Dalek"?
Coined by Terry Nation in 1963 for his script of The Mutants (later retitled "The Daleks"), the second serial of the first season of Doctor Who. Accounts of how he devised the word vary. Within the Doctor Who universe, the word is supposed to be r... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Dalek", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dents#35,681corgi#35,664dusky#35,700bilbo#35,633

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

dipper7 variantsfallow7 variantsfermi7 variantsBilal7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list