deadlock
/ˈdɛdˌlɒk/
"deadlock" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“deadlock” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,992 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #29,992
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A standstill resulting from the opposition of two evenly matched forces; a stalemate or impasse.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | deadlock |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdɛdˌlɒk/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #29,992 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “deadlock” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for deadlock is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɛdˌlɒk/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,992 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for deadlock, with forms such as "daedlock", "ddeadlock", and "deaddlock". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "dreadlocks", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From dead + lock. The correct English form is deadlock, spelled D-E-A-D-L-O-C-K.
Definition
- 1A standstill resulting from the opposition of two evenly matched forces; a stalemate or impasse.
- 2An inability to continue due to two programs or devices each requiring a response from the other before completing an operation.
- 3Synonym of deadbolt (“type of lock”).
Etymology
From dead + lock.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: daedlock,ddeadlock,deaddlock,deadlcok,deadllock,deadlocck,deadlockk,deadlokc,deadolck,dealdock,dedalock,edadlock
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deadlock - 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.
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
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Using “deadlock”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-A-D-L-O-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdɛdˌlɒk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “dreadlocks” - see the side-by-side comparison. deadlock vs dreadlocks
- 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.