deep

/diːp/

//diːp// adj

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

"deep" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“deep” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #945 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#945
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

deep vs DP
0% similar
deep vs due
50% similar
deep vs die
50% similar

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

Key facts for deep
PropertyValue
Headworddeep
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/diːp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#945
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “deep” 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). deep 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 deep is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /diːp/. Corpus data places it at rank #945 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for deep, with forms such as "ddeep", "deepp", and "depe". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "DP", "due", "die", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English depe, deep, dep, deop, from Old English dēop (“deep, profound; awful, mysterious; heinous; serious, solemn, earnest; extreme, great”), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz (“deep”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ… The correct English form is deep, spelled D-E-E-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  2. 2
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  3. 3
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  4. 4
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  5. 5
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  6. 6
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  7. 7
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  8. 8
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  9. 9
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  10. 10
    Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
  11. 11
    Complex, involved.
  12. 12
    Complex, involved.
  13. 13
    Complex, involved.
  14. 14
    Complex, involved.
  15. 15
    Complex, involved.
  16. 16
    Low in pitch.
  17. 17
    Highly saturated; rich.
  18. 18
    Sound, heavy (describing a state of sleep from which one is not easily awoken).
  19. 19
    Muddy; boggy; sandy; said of roads.
  20. 20
    Distant in the past, ancient.

Etymology

From Middle English depe, deep, dep, deop, from Old English dēop (“deep, profound; awful, mysterious; heinous; serious, solemn, earnest; extreme, great”), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz (“deep”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ-nós, from *dʰewbʰ- (“deep”). Cognates Cognate with Scots depe (“deep”), North Frisian diip, jip (“deep”), Saterland Frisian djoop (“deep”), West Frisian djip (“deep”), Alemannic German tüüf (“deep”), Central Franconian deef, deep (“deep”), Dutch diep (“deep”), German tief (“deep”), Luxembourgish déif (“deep”), Mòcheno tiaf (“deep”), Vilamovian tif, tīf, tiif (“deep”), Yiddish טיף (tif, “deep”), Danish dyb (“deep”), Faroese, Icelandic djúpur (“deep”), Norwegian Bokmål djup, dyp (“deep”), Norwegian Nynorsk, Swedish djup (“deep”), Scanian djyber (“deep”), Gothic 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍀𐍃 (diups, “deep”), Lithuanian dubùs (“deep, hollow”), Albanian det (“sea”), Welsh dwfn (“deep”).

Synonyms

heavymeaningfulprofoundthickgreatlargevoluminouslowlow-pitchedbrightrichvividfastheavydeep

Antonyms

shallowfrivolouslightshallowsuperficialshallowshallowthinshallowsmallhighhigh-pitchedpipinglightpaledesaturatedwashed-outlighttall

This word in other languages

profundo(Español)profond(Français)tief(Deutsch)fundo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddeep,deepp,depe,edep

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of deep - 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.

ddeep1deepp1depe2edep2
Edit distance from "deep"

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 "deep"?
"deep" is spelled D-E-E-P. The IPA pronunciation is /diːp/.
What does "deep" mean?
As an adjective, "deep" means: Extending, reaching or positioned far from a point of reference, especially downwards.
What words are commonly confused with "deep"?
"deep" is commonly confused with "DP", "due", "die". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "deep"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "deep" is /diːp/. 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 "deep"?
From Middle English depe, deep, dep, deop, from Old English dēop (“deep, profound; awful, mysterious; heinous; serious, solemn, earnest; extreme, great”), from Proto-West Germanic *deup, from Proto-Germanic *deupaz (“deep”), from Proto-Indo-Europe... 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 “deep”

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

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