dealer

/ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/

//ˈdiːlə(ɹ)// noun

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

"dealer" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dealer” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,209 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,209
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who deals in goods, especially automobiles; a middleman.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dealer vs dear
67% similar
dealer vs deer
67% similar
dealer vs deals
67% similar

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

Key facts for dealer
PropertyValue
Headworddealer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,209
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dealer” 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). dealer 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 dealer is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,209 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for dealer, with forms such as "daeler", "ddealer", and "deaelr". 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, "dear", "deer", "deals", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English delare, from Old English dǣlere, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. By surface analysis, deal + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Deeler, West Frisian dieler, Dutch deler, German Teiler, Swedish delare. The correct English form is dealer, spelled D-E-A-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who deals in goods, especially automobiles; a middleman.
  2. 2
    A drug dealer, one who peddles illicit drugs.
  3. 3
    A particular type of stock broker or trader.
  4. 4
    The person who deals the cards in a card game.
  5. 5
    One who deals or metes out anything.

Etymology

From Middle English delare, from Old English dǣlere, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. By surface analysis, deal + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Deeler, West Frisian dieler, Dutch deler, German Teiler, Swedish delare.

This word in other languages

concesionario(Español)concessionnaire(Français)Händler(Deutsch)negociante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: daeler,ddealer,deaelr,dealerr,dealler,dealre,delaer,edaler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

daeler2ddealer1deaelr2dealerr1dealler1dealre2delaer2edaler2
Edit distance from "dealer"

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 "dealer"?
"dealer" is spelled D-E-A-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/.
What does "dealer" mean?
As a noun, "dealer" means: One who deals in goods, especially automobiles; a middleman.
What words are commonly confused with "dealer"?
"dealer" is commonly confused with "dear", "deer", "deals". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dealer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dealer" is /ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/. 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 "dealer"?
From Middle English delare, from Old English dǣlere, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. By surface analysis, deal + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Deeler, West Frisian dieler, Dutch deler, German Teiler, Swedish delare. 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 “dealer”

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

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