dander

/ˈdændə(ɹ)/

//ˈdændə(ɹ)// noun

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

The verdict

“dander” is uncommon English (frequency #74,015 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,015
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Dandruff—scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dander · dander · English

dander · rank #74,015 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,015
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Danaher

Nearest frequency peer: Danaher (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “dander”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “dander” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dander
PropertyValue
Headworddander
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdændə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#74,015
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dander” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).danderfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Danaher” (#74,014), “dagmar” (#74,013), “deadass” (#74,017). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dander” is #74,015. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dander is uncommon English at frequency #74,015 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈdændə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

dander doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From a shortening of dandruff. The correct English form is dander, spelled D-A-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Dandruff—scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp.
  2. 2
    Hair follicles and dead skin shed from mammals.
  3. 3
    Allergen particles that accumulate on and may be shed from the skin and fur of domestic animals, especially from household pets such as cats and dogs.

Etymology

From a shortening of dandruff.

This word in other languages

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 "dander"?
"dander" is spelled D-A-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdændə(ɹ)/.
What does "dander" mean?
As a noun, "dander" means: Dandruff—scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp.
How do you pronounce "dander"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dander" is /ˈdændə(ɹ)/. 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 "dander"?
From a shortening of dandruff. 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 "dander", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list