dalliance

/ˈdalɪəns/

//ˈdalɪəns// noun

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

"dalliance" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dalliance” is uncommon English (frequency #71,432 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,432
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Playful flirtation; amorous play.

Key facts for dalliance
PropertyValue
Headworddalliance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdalɪəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#71,432
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dalliance” 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). dalliance lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dalliance is uncommon English at frequency #71,432 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdalɪəns/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

dalliance doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English daliaunce et al., from dalien (“to exchange pleasantries, to chat; to flirt”), from Old French dalier, dailer. By surface analysis, dally + -ance. The correct English form is dalliance, spelled D-A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Playful flirtation; amorous play.
  2. 2
    An episode of dabbling.
  3. 3
    A wasting of time in idleness or trifles.
  4. 4
    A sexual relationship, not serious but often illicit.

Etymology

From Middle English daliaunce et al., from dalien (“to exchange pleasantries, to chat; to flirt”), from Old French dalier, dailer. By surface analysis, dally + -ance.

This word in other languages

coqueteo(Español)flirt(Français)Liebesspiel(Deutsch)paquera(Português)

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 "dalliance"?
"dalliance" is spelled D-A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdalɪəns/.
What does "dalliance" mean?
As a noun, "dalliance" means: Playful flirtation; amorous play.
How do you pronounce "dalliance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dalliance" is /ˈdalɪəns/. 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 "dalliance"?
From Middle English daliaunce et al., from dalien (“to exchange pleasantries, to chat; to flirt”), from Old French dalier, dailer. By surface analysis, dally + -ance. 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 “dalliance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-A-L-L-I-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdalɪəns/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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