demos

/ˈdiːmɒs/

//ˈdiːmɒs// noun

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

The verdict

“demos” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,118 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,118
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An ancient subdivision of Attica; (now also) a Greek municipality, an administrative area covering a city or several villages together.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

demos vs Des
40% similar
demos vs DOS
0% similar
demos vs DMs
20% similar

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

Key facts for demos
PropertyValue
Headworddemos
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdiːmɒs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,118
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “demos” 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). demos 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 demos is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdiːmɒs/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,118 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 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 demos, with forms such as "ddemos", "demmos", and "demoss". 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, "Des", "DOS", "DMs", 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 Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “ordinary citizens, common people from a district, in a city-state”). Doublet of deme. The correct English form is demos, spelled D-E-M-O-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    An ancient subdivision of Attica; (now also) a Greek municipality, an administrative area covering a city or several villages together.
  2. 2
    The ordinary citizens of an ancient Greek city-state; hence, the common populace of a state or district (especially a democratic one); the people.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “ordinary citizens, common people from a district, in a city-state”). Doublet of deme.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddemos,demmos,demoss,demso,deoms,dmeos,edmos

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddemos1demmos1demoss1demso2deoms2dmeos2edmos2
Edit distance from "demos"

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 "demos"?
"demos" is spelled D-E-M-O-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdiːmɒs/.
What does "demos" mean?
As a noun, "demos" means: An ancient subdivision of Attica; (now also) a Greek municipality, an administrative area covering a city or several villages together.
What words are commonly confused with "demos"?
"demos" is commonly confused with "Des", "DOS", "DMs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "demos"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "demos" is /ˈdiːmɒs/. 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 "demos"?
From Ancient Greek δῆμος (dêmos, “ordinary citizens, common people from a district, in a city-state”). Doublet of deme. 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 “demos”

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

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