damn

/ˈdæm/

//ˈdæm// verb

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

"damn" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“damn” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #845. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#845
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To condemn.

Corpus desk

Index EN-damn · damn · English

damn · rank #845 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #845
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 26,416
  • PHOTO-FINISH couldn't

Nearest frequency peer: couldn't (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “damn”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “damn” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of May 6, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

damn vs DM
0% similar
damn vs day
50% similar
damn vs don
50% similar

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

Key facts for damn
PropertyValue
Headworddamn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdæm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#845
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “damn” 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). damn lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around damn (IPA /ˈdæm/), averb. Corpus frequency is #845 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for damn, with forms such as "admn", "dammn", and "damnn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "DM", "day", "don", 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 dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”). The correct English form is damn, spelled D-A-M-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To condemn.
  2. 2
    To condemn; to declare guilty; to doom; to adjudge to punishment.
  3. 3
    To put out of favor; to ruin; to label negatively.
  4. 4
    To condemn as unfit, harmful, invalid, immoral or illegal.
  5. 5
    To curse; put a curse upon.
  6. 6
    To invoke damnation; to curse.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The official position is that anyone who does this will be damned for all eternity.
  2. Only God can damn.

Etymology

From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”).

This word in other languages

maldecir(Español)condamner(Français)verdammen(Deutsch)amaldiçoar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • admn
  • dammn
  • damnn
  • danm
  • ddamn
  • dman

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of damn - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

admn2dammn1damnn1danm2ddamn1dman2
Edit distance from "damn"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "damn"?
"damn" is spelled D-A-M-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæm/.
What does "damn" mean?
As a verb, "damn" means: To condemn.
What words are commonly confused with "damn"?
"damn" is commonly confused with "DM", "day", "don". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "damn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "damn" is /ˈdæm/. 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 "damn"?
From Middle English dampnen, from Old French damner, from Latin damnāre (“to condemn, inflict loss upon”), from damnum (“loss”). 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 "damn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

born#843kill#852poor#855lord#832

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

send6 variantspick6 variantsstaff6 variantssuper6 variants
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