David

/ˈdeɪvɪd/

//ˈdeɪvɪd// name

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

"david" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“David” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #763 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#763
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from Hebrew.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

David vs did
40% similar
David vs DVD
20% similar
David vs Davy
60% similar

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

Key facts for David
PropertyValue
HeadwordDavid
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈdeɪvɪd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#763
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “David” 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). David 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 David is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdeɪvɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #763 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for David, with forms such as "advid", "daivd", and "davdi". 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, "did", "DVD", "Davy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Late Latin Dāvīd, from Koine Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ, literally “beloved”). The correct English form is David, spelled D-A-V-I-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Hebrew.
  2. 2
    The second king of Judah and Israel, the successor of King Saul in the Hebrew Bible; the son of Jesse and the father of Nathan and King Solomon.
  3. 3
    A surname originating as a patronymic common in Wales, in honor of the ancient Saint David of Wales.
  4. 4
    A female given name, often combined with a feminine middle name (e.g. David Ann).
  5. 5
    A place name:
  6. 6
    A place name:
  7. 7
    A place name:
  8. 8
    A place name:
  9. 9
    A place name:

Etymology

From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Late Latin Dāvīd, from Koine Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ, literally “beloved”).

This word in other languages

David(Español)David(Français)David(Deutsch)Davi(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: advid,daivd,davdi,davidd,davvid,ddavid,dvaid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of David - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

advid2daivd2davdi2davidd1davvid1ddavid1dvaid2
Edit distance from "David"

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 "David"?
"David" is spelled D-A-V-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdeɪvɪd/.
What does "David" mean?
As a proper noun, "David" means: A male given name from Hebrew.
What words are commonly confused with "David"?
"David" is commonly confused with "did", "DVD", "Davy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "David"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "David" is /ˈdeɪvɪd/. 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 "David"?
From Middle English David, Davyd, Davyde, from Old English Dauid, David, from Late Latin Dāvīd, from Koine Greek Δαυῑ̈́δ (Dauī̈́d), from Biblical Hebrew דָּוִד (dāwiḏ, literally “beloved”). 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 “David”

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

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