damper

/ˈdæmpɚ/

//ˈdæmpɚ// noun

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

The verdict

“damper” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,127 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,127
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something that damps or checks:

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

damper vs duper
67% similar
damper vs dimer
67% similar
damper vs danger
67% similar

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

Key facts for damper
PropertyValue
Headworddamper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdæmpɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,127
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “damper” 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). damper lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for damper is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdæmpɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,127 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 damper, with forms such as "admper", "damepr", and "dammper". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "duper", "dimer", "danger", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From damp (verb) + -er. The name of the type of bread is first attested in 1825, and originally likely refers to damping the appetite. The correct English form is damper, spelled D-A-M-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something that damps or checks:
  2. 2
    Something that damps or checks:
  3. 3
    Something that damps or checks:
  4. 4
    Something that damps or checks:
  5. 5
    Something that damps or checks:
  6. 6
    Bread made from a basic recipe of flour, water, milk, and salt, but without yeast.
  7. 7
    A shop till.

Etymology

From damp (verb) + -er. The name of the type of bread is first attested in 1825, and originally likely refers to damping the appetite.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: admper,damepr,dammper,damperr,dampper,dampre,dapmer,ddamper,dmaper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

admper2damepr2dammper1damperr1dampper1dampre2dapmer2ddamper1
Edit distance from "damper"

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 "damper"?
"damper" is spelled D-A-M-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæmpɚ/.
What does "damper" mean?
As a noun, "damper" means: Something that damps or checks:
What words are commonly confused with "damper"?
"damper" is commonly confused with "duper", "dimer", "danger". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "damper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "damper" is /ˈdæmpɚ/. 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 "damper"?
From damp (verb) + -er. The name of the type of bread is first attested in 1825, and originally likely refers to damping the appetite. 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 “damper”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-A-M-P-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdæmpɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “duper” - see the side-by-side comparison. damper vs duper
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list