demon

/ˈdiː.mən/

//ˈdiː.mən// noun

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

"demon" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“demon” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,458 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,458
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An evil supernatural being.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

demon vs don
60% similar
demon vs den
60% similar
demon vs deo
60% similar

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

Key facts for demon
PropertyValue
Headworddemon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdiː.mən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,458
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “demon” 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). demon 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 demon is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdiː.mən/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,458 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for demon, with forms such as "ddemon", "demmon", and "demno". 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, "don", "den", "deo", 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 demon, a borrowing from Medieval Latin dēmōn, daemōn (“lar, familiar spirit, guardian spirit”), from Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn, “dispenser, god, protective spirit”). Doublet of daimon. The correct English form is demon, spelled D-E-M-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An evil supernatural being.
  2. 2
    An evil supernatural being.
  3. 3
    An evil supernatural being.
  4. 4
    An evil supernatural being.
  5. 5
    An evil supernatural being.
  6. 6
    A neutral supernatural being.
  7. 7
    A neutral supernatural being.
  8. 8
    A neutral supernatural being.
  9. 9
    A neutral supernatural being.
  10. 10
    Someone with great strength, passion or skill for a particular activity, pursuit etc.; an enthusiast.
  11. 11
    A type of patience or solitaire (card game) played in the UK and/or US.
  12. 12
    Any of various hesperiid butterflies of the genera Notocrypta and Udaspes.

Etymology

From Middle English demon, a borrowing from Medieval Latin dēmōn, daemōn (“lar, familiar spirit, guardian spirit”), from Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn, “dispenser, god, protective spirit”). Doublet of daimon.

Synonyms

geniustutelary deitygod and Thesaurus:spiritbarghestbogiebogeymanboggardboglecacodemondaevadevilevil geniusfiendflibbertigibbetghoulgoblinimpkoboldnisspooktroll

This word in other languages

demonio(Español)démon(Français)Dämon(Deutsch)demônio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddemon,demmon,demno,demonn,deomn,dmeon,edmon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddemon1demmon1demno2demonn1deomn2dmeon2edmon2
Edit distance from "demon"

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 "demon"?
"demon" is spelled D-E-M-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiː.mən/.
What does "demon" mean?
As a noun, "demon" means: An evil supernatural being.
What words are commonly confused with "demon"?
"demon" is commonly confused with "don", "den", "deo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "demon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "demon" is /ˈdiː.mən/. 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 "demon"?
From Middle English demon, a borrowing from Medieval Latin dēmōn, daemōn (“lar, familiar spirit, guardian spirit”), from Ancient Greek δαίμων (daímōn, “dispenser, god, protective spirit”). Doublet of daimon. 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 “demon”

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

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