deathbed

/ˈdɛθˌbɛd/

//ˈdɛθˌbɛd// noun

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

"deathbed" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deathbed” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,993. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,993
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The bed on which someone dies.

Corpus desk

Index EN-deathbed · deathbed · English

deathbed · rank #29,993 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,993
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deadlock

Nearest frequency peer: deadlock (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “deathbed”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “deathbed” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for deathbed
PropertyValue
Headworddeathbed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɛθˌbɛd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,993
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “deathbed”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).deathbedlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “deadlock” (#29,992), “deceitful” (#29,994), “deactivate” (#29,991). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “deathbed” is #29,993. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around deathbed (IPA /ˈdɛθˌbɛd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #29,993 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for deathbed, with forms such as "daethbed", "ddeathbed", and "deahtbed". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dethbed, from Old English dēaþbedd (“deathbed; grave”), equivalent to death + bed. Cognate with Swedish dödsbädd (“deathbed”). Compare also Dutch sterfbed (“deathbed”), German Sterbebett and Totenbett (both “deathbed”), Danish dødsleje (… The correct English form is deathbed, spelled D-E-A-T-H-B-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The bed on which someone dies.
  2. 2
    The last hours before death.
  3. 3
    A grave; the site of a burial or entombment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how deathbed appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He was once on his way to an old woman, who was on her death-bed and who had led a wicked life.
  2. “Will you ask our oldest warriors to build me a barrow? Ask them to climb this headland and build me a death pile high on its top. Let my deathbed rise high above Hronesnesse.”

Etymology

From Middle English dethbed, from Old English dēaþbedd (“deathbed; grave”), equivalent to death + bed. Cognate with Swedish dödsbädd (“deathbed”). Compare also Dutch sterfbed (“deathbed”), German Sterbebett and Totenbett (both “deathbed”), Danish dødsleje (“deathbed”).

This word in other languages

lecho de muerte(Español)lit de mort(Français)Sterbebett(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • daethbed
  • ddeathbed
  • deahtbed
  • deatbhed
  • deathbbed
  • deathbde
  • deathbedd
  • deathebd
  • deathhbed
  • deatthbed
  • detahbed
  • edathbed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

daethbed2ddeathbed1deahtbed2deatbhed2deathbbed1deathbde2deathbedd1deathebd2
Edit distance from "deathbed"

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 "deathbed"?
"deathbed" is spelled D-E-A-T-H-B-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɛθˌbɛd/.
What does "deathbed" mean?
As a noun, "deathbed" means: The bed on which someone dies.
What are common misspellings of "deathbed"?
Common misspellings include "daethbed", "ddeathbed", "deahtbed", "deatbhed", "deathbbed". The correct spelling is "deathbed".
How do you pronounce "deathbed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deathbed" is /ˈdɛθˌbɛd/. 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 "deathbed"?
From Middle English dethbed, from Old English dēaþbedd (“deathbed; grave”), equivalent to death + bed. Cognate with Swedish dödsbädd (“deathbed”). Compare also Dutch sterfbed (“deathbed”), German Sterbebett and Totenbett (both “deathbed”), Danish ... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "deathbed", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deadlock#29,992demented#29,998displace#30,005codified#29,973

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

equalizer12 variantscataract12 variantsCambrian12 variantsfanciful12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list