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 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,432
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Playful flirtation; amorous play.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dalliance · dalliance · English

dalliance · rank #71,432 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #71,432
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Dakin

Nearest frequency peer: Dakin (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “dalliance”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “dalliance” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dalliance
PropertyValue
Headworddalliance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdalɪəns/
Letters9
Frequency rank#71,432
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dalliance” in English

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).dalliancefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Dakin” (#71,431), “Deegan” (#71,436), “Deism” (#71,438). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dalliance” is #71,432. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dalliance is uncommon English at frequency #71,432 among 3,470 “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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As in the season of rutting (an uncouth phrase, by which the vulgar denote that gentle dalliance, which in the well-wooded forest of Hampshire, passes between lovers of the ferine kind),
  2. But, with a gesture, she put a period to this dalliance—one shouldn't palter so on an empty stomach, she might almost have said.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Cromartie#71,425conceives#71,415Clitheroe#71,406cisgender#71,403

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list