dexterity
/dɛksˈtɛɹɪti/
"dexterity" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“dexterity” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,398 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #26,398
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | dexterity |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /dɛksˈtɛɹɪti/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #26,398 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “dexterity” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for dexterity is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɛksˈtɛɹɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,398 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for dexterity, with forms such as "ddexterity", "detxerity", and "dexetrity". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French dextérité, from Latin dexteritas, from dexter (“on the right”), this is in reference to most people having greater fine motor skills in their right hand. Partially displaced native Old English handcræft, whence Modern English han… The correct English form is dexterity, spelled D-E-X-T-E-R-I-T-Y.
Definition
- 1Skill in performing tasks, especially with the hands.
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French dextérité, from Latin dexteritas, from dexter (“on the right”), this is in reference to most people having greater fine motor skills in their right hand. Partially displaced native Old English handcræft, whence Modern English handcraft.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ddexterity,detxerity,dexetrity,dexteirty,dexteritty,dexterityy,dexteriyt,dexterrity,dextertiy,dextreity,dextterity,dexxterity,dxeterity,edxterity
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dexterity - 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.
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 "dexterity"?
What does "dexterity" mean?
What are common misspellings of "dexterity"?
How do you pronounce "dexterity"?
What is the origin of the word "dexterity"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “dexterity”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-E-X-T-E-R-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /dɛksˈtɛɹɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.