dastard
/ˈdɑːstəd/
"dastard" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“dastard” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | dastard |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɑːstəd/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “dastard” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for dastard is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɑːstəd/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.".
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for dastard, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dastard (“a dullard”), most likely formed from *dast, a base derived from Old Norse dæstr (“exhausted, breathless”) + -ard. Compare Icelandic dasaður (“exhausted”), dialectal Swedish däst (“weary”), Middle Dutch dasaert, daasaardt (“a fo… The correct English form is dastard, spelled D-A-S-T-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1A malicious coward; a dishonorable sneak.
Etymology
From Middle English dastard (“a dullard”), most likely formed from *dast, a base derived from Old Norse dæstr (“exhausted, breathless”) + -ard. Compare Icelandic dasaður (“exhausted”), dialectal Swedish däst (“weary”), Middle Dutch dasaert, daasaardt (“a fool”), English dazed (“stupefied”).
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “dastard”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-A-S-T-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɑːstəd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.