Dalton
/ˈdɒltən/
"dalton" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“Dalton” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,307 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.
- #14,307
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 10
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A habitational surname from Old English.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | Dalton |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Proper noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɒltən/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #14,307 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 10 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “Dalton” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for Dalton is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɒltən/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,307 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 33 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Dalton, with forms such as "adlton", "dallton", and "dalotn". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "Damon", "Dawson", "Dayton", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Old English dæl (“valley”) + tun (“settlement”). Equivalent to dale + town. The correct English form is Dalton, spelled D-A-L-T-O-N.
Definition
- 1A habitational surname from Old English.
- 2A habitational surname from Old English.
- 3A male given name transferred from the surname.
- 4Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 5Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 6Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 7Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 8Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 9Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 10Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 11Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 12Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 13Any of several places in the north of England and in Scotland:
- 14A number of places in the United States:
- 15A number of places in the United States:
- 16A number of places in the United States:
- 17A number of places in the United States:
- 18A number of places in the United States:
- 19A number of places in the United States:
- 20A number of places in the United States:
- 21A number of places in the United States:
- 22A number of places in the United States:
- 23A number of places in the United States:
- 24A number of places in the United States:
- 25A number of places in the United States:
- 26A number of places in the United States:
- 27A number of places in the United States:
- 28An abandoned village in Unorganized North Algoma District, Ontario, Canada; some buildings are used as summer cottages.
- 29A township within Kawartha Lakes, Ontario.
- 30A village in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
- 31A locality in the Upper Lachlan council area, south eastern New South Wales, Australia.
- 32A settlement (moshav) in northern Israel.
- 33Ellipsis of Dalton Highway.
Etymology
From Old English dæl (“valley”) + tun (“settlement”). Equivalent to dale + town.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: adlton,dallton,dalotn,daltno,daltonn,daltton,datlon,ddalton,dlaton
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Dalton - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "Dalton"?
What does "Dalton" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "Dalton"?
How do you pronounce "Dalton"?
What is the origin of the word "Dalton"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “Dalton”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-A-L-T-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɒltən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “Damon” - see the side-by-side comparison. Dalton vs Damon
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.