dermal

[ˈdɜːməɫ]

/[ˈdɜːməɫ]/ adj

"dermal" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dermal” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,956 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#36,956
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or pertaining to skin or integument (or other forms of tissue)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dermal vs dorsal
67% similar
dermal vs dismal
67% similar
dermal vs Dermot
50% similar

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

Key facts for dermal
PropertyValue
Headworddermal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈdɜːməɫ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#36,956
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dermal” 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). dermal 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 dermal is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈdɜːməɫ]. Corpus data places it at rank #36,956 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Of or pertaining to skin or integument (or other forms of tissue)".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dermal, with forms such as "ddermal", "demral", and "deraml". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "dorsal", "dismal", "Dermot", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From derm + -al. First attested in the early 19th century. The correct English form is dermal, spelled D-E-R-M-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or pertaining to skin or integument (or other forms of tissue)

Etymology

From derm + -al. First attested in the early 19th century.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddermal,demral,deraml,dermall,dermla,dermmal,derrmal,dremal,edrmal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddermal1demral2deraml2dermall1dermla2dermmal1derrmal1dremal2
Edit distance from "dermal"

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 "dermal"?
"dermal" is spelled D-E-R-M-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈdɜːməɫ].
What does "dermal" mean?
As an adjective, "dermal" means: Of or pertaining to skin or integument (or other forms of tissue)
What words are commonly confused with "dermal"?
"dermal" is commonly confused with "dorsal", "dismal", "Dermot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dermal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dermal" is [ˈdɜːməɫ]. 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 "dermal"?
From derm + -al. First attested in the early 19th century. 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 “dermal”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-E-R-M-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈdɜːməɫ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dorsal” - see the side-by-side comparison. dermal vs dorsal
  • 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