dapper

/ˈdæpə(ɹ)/

//ˈdæpə(ɹ)// adj

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

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

The verdict

“dapper” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,343. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,343
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Neat, trim.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dapper · dapper · English

dapper · rank #32,343 · 7 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,343
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deathly

Nearest frequency peer: deathly (+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 “dapper”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dapper” 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).

dapper vs duper
67% similar
dapper vs deeper
67% similar
dapper vs darker
67% similar

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

Key facts for dapper
PropertyValue
Headworddapper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdæpə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#32,343
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dapper”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dapperlands 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 “deathly” (#32,344), “cysts” (#32,340), “defection” (#32,346). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dapper” is #32,343. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around dapper (IPA /ˈdæpə(ɹ)/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #32,343 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for dapper, with forms such as "adpper", "dapepr", and "daper". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "duper", "deeper", "darker", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English daper (“pretty, neat”), from Middle Dutch dapper (“stalwart, nimble”), Old Dutch *dapar, from Proto-Germanic *dapraz (“stout; solid; heavy; bold”) (compare German tapfer "bold", Norwegian daper "saddened, dreary"), from Proto-Indo-Europe… The correct English form is dapper, spelled D-A-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Neat, trim.
  2. 2
    Stylishly dressed, neatly dressed, spiffy.
  3. 3
    Quick; little and active.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This entrance is through a little courtyard, in which is the stable and coach-house combined, where Madame Perinere, a lady who paints the magic word "Modes" beneath her name on the door-post of number seventeen, keeps the dapper little cart and pony which carry her bonnets to the farthest corner of Paris.
  2. “It is too bad that monsieur has been troubled,” said Tarzan, turning to the newspaper man. “I bid monsieur good evening,” and he bowed the dapper young man out of the room, and closed the door in his face.

Etymology

From Middle English daper (“pretty, neat”), from Middle Dutch dapper (“stalwart, nimble”), Old Dutch *dapar, from Proto-Germanic *dapraz (“stout; solid; heavy; bold”) (compare German tapfer "bold", Norwegian daper "saddened, dreary"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeb- ‘thick, heavy’ (compare Tocharian A tpär ‘high’, Latvian dàbls ‘strong’, Serbo-Croatian дебео (dèbeo) ‘fat’).

This word in other languages

pulcro(Español)fringant(Français)elegante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • adpper
  • dapepr
  • daper
  • dapperr
  • dappre
  • ddapper
  • dpaper

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dapper - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

adpper2dapepr2daper1dapperr1dappre2ddapper1dpaper2
Edit distance from "dapper"

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 "dapper"?
"dapper" is spelled D-A-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdæpə(ɹ)/.
What does "dapper" mean?
As an adjective, "dapper" means: Neat, trim.
What words are commonly confused with "dapper"?
"dapper" is commonly confused with "duper", "deeper", "darker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dapper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dapper" is /ˈdæpə(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 "dapper"?
From Middle English daper (“pretty, neat”), from Middle Dutch dapper (“stalwart, nimble”), Old Dutch *dapar, from Proto-Germanic *dapraz (“stout; solid; heavy; bold”) (compare German tapfer "bold", Norwegian daper "saddened, dreary"), from Proto-I... 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 "dapper", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Diwali#32,360Doreen#32,361drapes#32,365choppy#32,319

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

clove7 variantsepics7 variantserrant7 variantsEunice7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list