dash

/dæʃ/

//dæʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dash” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,116 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,116
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dash vs DS
0% similar
dash vs day
50% similar
dash vs Des
25% similar

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

Key facts for dash
PropertyValue
Headworddash
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dæʃ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,116
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dash” 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). dash 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 dash is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dæʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,116 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for dash, with forms such as "adsh", "dahs", and "dashh". 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, "DS", "day", "Des", 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 Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See… The correct English form is dash, spelled D-A-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
  2. 2
    Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
  3. 3
    The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.
  4. 4
    A short run, flight.
  5. 5
    A rushing or violent onset.
  6. 6
    Violent strike; a whack.
  7. 7
    A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.
  8. 8
    A slight admixture.
  9. 9
    Ostentatious vigor.
  10. 10
    A bribe or gratuity; a gift.
  11. 11
    A stand-in for a censored word, like "Devil" or "damn". (Compare deuce.)
  12. 12
    Ellipsis of dashboard.
  13. 13
    Ellipsis of dashboard.
  14. 14
    A prime symbol.

Etymology

From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.

Synonyms

dash

This word in other languages

raya(Español)tiret(Français)Bindestrich(Deutsch)travessão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: adsh,dahs,dashh,dassh,ddash,dsah

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adsh2dahs2dashh1dassh1ddash1dsah2
Edit distance from "dash"

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 "dash"?
"dash" is spelled D-A-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /dæʃ/.
What does "dash" mean?
As a noun, "dash" means: Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), — (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).
What words are commonly confused with "dash"?
"dash" is commonly confused with "DS", "day", "Des". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dash"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dash" is /dæʃ/. 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 "dash"?
From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extingu... 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 “dash”

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

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