depth

/dɛpθ/

//dɛpθ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“depth” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,725 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,725
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

depth vs doth
60% similar
depth vs deputy
67% similar
depth vs depths
83% similar

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

Key facts for depth
PropertyValue
Headworddepth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɛpθ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,725
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “depth” 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). depth 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 depth is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɛpθ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,725 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for depth, with forms such as "ddepth", "depht", and "deppth". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "doth", "deputy", "depths", 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 depthe, from Old English *dīepþ (“depth”), from Proto-Germanic *diupiþō (“depth”), equivalent to deep + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognates Cognate with Scots deepth (“depth”), Saterland Frisian Djüpte (“depth”), West Frisian djipte … The correct English form is depth, spelled D-E-P-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep
  2. 2
    the distance between the front and the back, as the depth of a drawer or closet
  3. 3
    the intensity, complexity, strength, seriousness or importance of an emotion, situation, etc.
  4. 4
    lowness
  5. 5
    the total palette of available colors
  6. 6
    the property of appearing three-dimensional
  7. 7
    the deepest part (usually of a body of water)
  8. 8
    a very remote part.
  9. 9
    the most severe part
  10. 10
    the number of simple elements which an abstract conception or notion includes; the comprehension or content
  11. 11
    a pair of toothed wheels which work together
  12. 12
    the perpendicular distance from the chord to the farthest point of an arched surface
  13. 13
    the lower of the two ranks of a value in an ordered set of values
  14. 14
    A set of more than one ciphertext enciphered with the same key.
  15. 15
    An invariant of rings and modules, encoding information about dimensionality; see Depth (ring theory).

Etymology

From Middle English depthe, from Old English *dīepþ (“depth”), from Proto-Germanic *diupiþō (“depth”), equivalent to deep + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognates Cognate with Scots deepth (“depth”), Saterland Frisian Djüpte (“depth”), West Frisian djipte (“depth; abyss, chasm”), Dutch diepte (“depth”), German Low German, Limburgish Deepde (“depth”), Luxembourgish Déift (“depth”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål dybde (“depth”), Faroese dýpd (“depth”), Icelandic djúp, dýpi, dýpt (“depth”), Norwegian Nynorsk djup, djupn, djupt, dypt (“depth”), Swedish djup (“depth”), Gothic 𐌳𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌹𐌸𐌰 (diupiþa, “depth”).

Synonyms

abyssbottombathosnadir

This word in other languages

profundidad(Español)profondeur(Français)Tiefe(Deutsch)profundidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddepth,depht,deppth,depthh,deptth,detph,dpeth,edpth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddepth1depht2deppth1depthh1deptth1detph2dpeth2edpth2
Edit distance from "depth"

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 "depth"?
"depth" is spelled D-E-P-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /dɛpθ/.
What does "depth" mean?
As a noun, "depth" means: the vertical distance below a surface; the degree to which something is deep
What words are commonly confused with "depth"?
"depth" is commonly confused with "doth", "deputy", "depths". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "depth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "depth" is /dɛpθ/. 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 "depth"?
From Middle English depthe, from Old English *dīepþ (“depth”), from Proto-Germanic *diupiþō (“depth”), equivalent to deep + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognates Cognate with Scots deepth (“depth”), Saterland Frisian Djüpte (“depth”), West Frisi... 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 “depth”

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

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