deaconess

Name: deaconess, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/

//ˌdiːkəˈnɛs// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“deaconess” is uncommon English (frequency #62,824 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,824
frequency rank, English: 26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A non-clerical role for women in some churches.

Key facts for deaconess
Property	Value
Headword	deaconess
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/
Letters	9
Frequency rank	#62,824
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deaconess” 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). deaconess lands here:

#62,824

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

Rare enough to double-check

deaconess is uncommon English at frequency #62,824 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for deaconess in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon + -ess. The correct English form is deaconess, spelled D-E-A-C-O-N-E-S-S.

Definition

1
A non-clerical role for women in some churches.
2
A female deacon.
3
A female servant in the early Christian church.
4
The nun in charge of the altar in a convent.
5
One of an order of women in some Protestant churches who nurse the sick and tend the poor.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon + -ess.

This word in other languages

diácona(Español)diaconesse(Français)Diakonin(Deutsch)

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 "deaconess"?

"deaconess" is spelled D-E-A-C-O-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/.

What does "deaconess" mean?

As a noun, "deaconess" means: A non-clerical role for women in some churches.

How do you pronounce "deaconess"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deaconess" is /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/. 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 "deaconess"?

Inherited from Middle English dekenesse; equivalent to deacon + -ess. 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 “deaconess”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-E-A-C-O-N-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˌdiːkəˈnɛs/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.