deme
/diːm/
"deme" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“deme” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A township or other subdivision of ancient Attica.
Corpus desk
Index EN-deme · deme · English
deme · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MID 4 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "D" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | deme |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /diːm/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “deme” in English
Rare enough to double-check
deme is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /diːm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for deme in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “district”). Doublet of demos. The correct English form is deme, spelled D-E-M-E.
Definition
- 1A township or other subdivision of ancient Attica.
- 2A distinct local population of plants or animals.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how deme appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
If two persons bore the same name[…] ambiguity was avoided […] by indicating their place of origin, the name of the tribe or deme being added for persons of the same town […], and the name of the country or town for foreigners […].
They increased the authority of the Assembly and divided Attica into numerous small wardlike districts, the demes.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “district”). Doublet of demos.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.