dally

/ˈdæli/

//ˈdæli// verb

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

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

The verdict

“dally” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,876. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,876
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dally · dally · English

dally · rank #37,876 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,876
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH cryogenic

Nearest frequency peer: cryogenic (-2 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 “dally”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dally” 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).

dally vs day
60% similar
dally vs doll
60% similar
dally vs dull
60% similar

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

Key facts for dally
PropertyValue
Headworddally
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdæli/
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,876
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dally”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dallylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cryogenic” (#37,874), “decontamination” (#37,878), “defenceman” (#37,879). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dally” is #37,876. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around dally (IPA /ˈdæli/), averb. Corpus frequency is #37,876 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for dally, with forms such as "adlly", "dallyy", and "dalyl". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "day", "doll", "dull", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dalien, from Anglo-Norman delaier. Doublet of delay. The correct English form is dally, spelled D-A-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
  2. 2
    To caress, especially of a sexual nature; to fondle or pet
  3. 3
    To delay unnecessarily; to while away.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I wish, grave governor, 'twere in my power / To favour you; but 'tis my father's cause, / Wherein I may not, nay, I dare not dally.
  2. […] after we by our presumptuous delays have put off God, and dallied with his grace; […]

Etymology

From Middle English dalien, from Anglo-Norman delaier. Doublet of delay.

This word in other languages

procrastiner(Français)tändeln(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • adlly
  • dallyy
  • dalyl
  • ddally
  • dlaly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adlly2dallyy1dalyl2ddally1dlaly2
Edit distance from "dally"

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 "dally"?
"dally" is spelled D-A-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæli/.
What does "dally" mean?
As a verb, "dally" means: To waste time in trivial activities, or in idleness; to trifle.
What words are commonly confused with "dally"?
"dally" is commonly confused with "day", "doll", "dull". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dally"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dally" is /ˈdæli/. 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 "dally"?
From Middle English dalien, from Anglo-Norman delaier. Doublet of delay. 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 "dally", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Delle#37,880clary#37,855chews#37,850elude#37,904

Similar misspelling depth

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

dupe5 variantsetch5 variantsGaon5 variantsGiza5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list