# delve

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɛlv/ · frequency rank #24,139

## Definitions
1. To dig into the ground, especially with a shovel.
2. To dig; to excavate.
3. To search thoroughly and carefully for information, research, dig into, penetrate, fathom, trace out

## Etymology
From Middle English delven, from Old English delfan (“to dig, dig out, burrow, bury”), from Proto-Germanic *delbaną (“to dig”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰelbʰ- (“to dig”). Cognate with West Frisian dolle (“to dig, delve”), Dutch delven (“to dig, delve”), Low German dölven (“to dig, delve”), dialectal German delben, telben (“to dig, delve”).

## Easily confused with
- **dev** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dev)
- **dive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dive)
- **dove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dove)
- **dole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dole)
- **devi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-devi)
- **devs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-devs)
- **devo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-devo)
- **deva** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-deva)
- **drive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-drive)
- **drove** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-drove)
- **dense** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dense)
- **dolce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dolce)
- **deuce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-deuce)
- **dulce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-dulce)
- **Denver** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-denver)
- **derive** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-derive)
- **delves** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-delves)
- **delved** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-delved)
- **devolve** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/delve-vs-devolve)
- **del** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/del-vs-delve)

## Common misspellings (7)
`ddelve`, `delev`, `dellve`, `delvve`, `devle`, `dleve`, `edlve`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/delve