darkened

/ˈdɑɹkənd/

//ˈdɑɹkənd// verb

"darkened" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“darkened” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,420. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,420
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - simple past and past participle of darken

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

darkened vs darned
75% similar
darkened vs Darlene
63% similar
darkened vs darken
75% similar

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

Key facts for darkened
PropertyValue
Headworddarkened
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɑɹkənd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#24,420
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “darkened” 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). darkened lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around darkened (IPA /ˈdɑɹkənd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #24,420 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "simple past and past participle of darken".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for darkened, with forms such as "adrkened", "dakrened", and "darekned". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "darned", "Darlene", "darken", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is darkened, spelled D-A-R-K-E-N-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    simple past and past participle of darken

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • adrkened
  • dakrened
  • darekned
  • darkeend
  • darkende
  • darkenedd
  • darkenned
  • darkkened
  • darkneed
  • darrkened
  • ddarkened
  • drakened

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adrkened2dakrened2darekned2darkeend2darkende2darkenedd1darkenned1darkkened1
Edit distance from "darkened"

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 "darkened"?
"darkened" is spelled D-A-R-K-E-N-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɑɹkənd/.
What does "darkened" mean?
As a verb, "darkened" means: simple past and past participle of darken
What words are commonly confused with "darkened"?
"darkened" is commonly confused with "darned", "Darlene", "darken". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "darkened"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "darkened" is /ˈdɑɹkənd/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "darkened" come from?
"darkened" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “darkened”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-A-R-K-E-N-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɑɹkənd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “darned” - see the side-by-side comparison. darkened vs darned
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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