dark

/dɑːk/

//dɑːk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“dark” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #966. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#966
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dark · dark · English

dark · rank #966 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #966
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH cases

Nearest frequency peer: cases (-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 “dark”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “dark” 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 September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dark vs Dr
25% similar
dark vs day
50% similar
dark vs dry
50% similar

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

Key facts for dark
PropertyValue
Headworddark
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/dɑːk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#966
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dark” sits in English frequency

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).darklands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “cases” (#965), “district” (#967), “card” (#964). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around dark (IPA /dɑːk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #966 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for dark, with forms such as "adrk", "dakr", and "darkk". 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, "Dr", "day", "dry", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”). The correct English form is dark, spelled D-A-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
  2. 2
    Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
  3. 3
    Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
  4. 4
    Transmitting, reflecting, or receiving inadequate light to render timely discernment or comprehension
  5. 5
    Dull or deeper in hue; not bright or light.
  6. 6
    Ambiguously or unclearly expressed.
  7. 7
    Marked by or conducted with secrecy.
  8. 8
    Marked by or conducted with secrecy.
  9. 9
    Without moral or spiritual light; sinister, malevolent, malign.
  10. 10
    Conducive to hopelessness; depressing or bleak.
  11. 11
    Lacking progress in science or the arts.
  12. 12
    Extremely sad, depressing, or somber, typically due to, or marked by, a tragic or undesirable event.
  13. 13
    With emphasis placed on the unpleasant and macabre aspects of life; said of a work of fiction, a work of nonfiction presented in narrative form, or a portion of either.
  14. 14
    Off the air; not transmitting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The room was too dark for reading.
  2. It was a dark and stormy night, the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets […]

Etymology

From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”).

Synonyms

blearcaliginouscimmeriancrepusculardarkdarksomedarklingdimdimpsydingydullduskyfuliginousgloomyinfernalleadenlightlessmirksomemurkymurksomeobscureshadysombersombrousstygiansunlessswarthytenebrosetenebroustwilightishumbrageousunilluminated

Antonyms

brightglowinglightlitluminousluminiferousradiantshiningsunny

This word in other languages

oscuro(Español)obscur(Français)dunkel(Deutsch)escuro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • adrk
  • dakr
  • darkk
  • darrk
  • ddark
  • drak

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adrk2dakr2darkk1darrk1ddark1drak2
Edit distance from "dark"

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 "dark"?
"dark" is spelled D-A-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /dɑːk/.
What does "dark" mean?
As an adjective, "dark" means: Having an absolute or (more often) relative lack of light.
What words are commonly confused with "dark"?
"dark" is commonly confused with "Dr", "day", "dry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dark"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dark" is /dɑːk/. 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 "dark"?
From Middle English derk, from Old English deorc, from Proto-West Germanic *derk (“dark”), of uncertain origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerg- (“dim, dull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰer- (“dull, dirty”). 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 "dark", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

card#964ball#961mine#971note#973

Similar misspelling depth

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

cases6 variantsIndia6 variantspiece6 variantsrisk6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "dark". Here's where to go from here.

  • "dark" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "Dr". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #966 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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