damask

Name: damask, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈdæm.əsk/

//ˈdæm.əsk// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“damask” is uncommon English (frequency #53,481 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,481
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An ornate silk fabric originating from Damascus.

Key facts for damask
Property	Value
Headword	damask
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈdæm.əsk/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#53,481
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “damask” 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). damask lands here:

#53,481

#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

damask is uncommon English at frequency #53,481 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdæm.əsk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

damask has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English damaske, from Medieval Latin damascus, named after the city Damascus, where the fabric was originally made. The correct English form is damask, spelled D-A-M-A-S-K.

Definition

1
An ornate silk fabric originating from Damascus.
2
Linen so woven that a pattern is produced by the different directions of the thread, without contrast of colour.
3
A heavy woolen or worsted stuff with a pattern woven in the same way as the linen damask; made for furniture covering and hangings.
4
Damascus steel.
5
The peculiar markings or water of such steel.
6
A damask rose, Rosa × damascena.
7
A grayish-pink color, like that of the damask rose.

Etymology

From Middle English damaske, from Medieval Latin damascus, named after the city Damascus, where the fabric was originally made.

This word in other languages

damasco(Español)damas(Français)Damast(Deutsch)damasco(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 "damask"?

"damask" is spelled D-A-M-A-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæm.əsk/.

What does "damask" mean?

As a noun, "damask" means: An ornate silk fabric originating from Damascus.

How do you pronounce "damask"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "damask" is /ˈdæm.əsk/. 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 "damask"?

From Middle English damaske, from Medieval Latin damascus, named after the city Damascus, where the fabric was originally made. 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 “damask”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-A-M-A-S-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈdæm.əsk/ (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.