dampen

/ˈdæmpən/

//ˈdæmpən// verb

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

"dampen" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dampen” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,512. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,512
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dampen · dampen · English

dampen · rank #36,512 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,512
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH daemon

Nearest frequency peer: daemon (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “dampen”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dampen” 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).

dampen vs dumped
67% similar
dampen vs Darren
50% similar
dampen vs deepen
67% similar

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

Key facts for dampen
PropertyValue
Headworddampen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdæmpən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#36,512
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dampen”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “daemon” (#36,511), “dancehall” (#36,513), “cynic” (#36,510). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dampen” is #36,512. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dampen (IPA /ˈdæmpən/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,512 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dampen, with forms such as "admpen", "damepn", and "dammpen". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "dumped", "Darren", "deepen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From damp + -en. The correct English form is dampen, spelled D-A-M-P-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.
  2. 2
    To become damp or moist.
  3. 3
    To lessen; to dull; to make less intense (said of emotions and non-physical things).
  4. 4
    To suppress vibrations (mechanical) or oscillations (electrical) by converting energy to heat (or some other form of energy).
  5. 5
    To become damped or deadened.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We won't let the bad news dampen our spirits.
  2. He was dreadfully familiar with everything, and talked about some places we were longing to see in a way that considerably dampened our enthusiasm.

Etymology

From damp + -en.

This word in other languages

humedecer(Español)humecter(Français)befeuchten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • admpen
  • damepn
  • dammpen
  • dampenn
  • dampne
  • damppen
  • dapmen
  • ddampen
  • dmapen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dampen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

admpen2damepn2dammpen1dampenn1dampne2damppen1dapmen2ddampen1
Edit distance from "dampen"

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 "dampen"?
"dampen" is spelled D-A-M-P-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæmpən/.
What does "dampen" mean?
As a verb, "dampen" means: To make damp or moist; to make moderately wet.
What words are commonly confused with "dampen"?
"dampen" is commonly confused with "dumped", "Darren", "deepen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dampen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dampen" is /ˈdæmpən/. 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 "dampen"?
From damp + -en. 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 "dampen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

daemon#36,511cuffed#36,509cornet#36,504dipole#36,522

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

cocker9 variantsbedouin9 variantsbeastie9 variantsGeordie9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list