dharma

/d̪hərm(ɑ)/

//d̪hərm(ɑ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dharma” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,334. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,334
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
6
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The natural order of the universe; natural law, cosmic order.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dharma vs drama
67% similar
dharma vs Dara
50% similar
dharma vs Dhaka
50% similar

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

Key facts for dharma
PropertyValue
Headworddharma
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d̪hərm(ɑ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#20,334
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs6
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dharma” 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). dharma lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dharma (IPA /d̪hərm(ɑ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,334 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dharma, with forms such as "dahrma", "ddharma", and "dhamra". 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 6 confusable-pair relationships, "drama", "Dara", "Dhaka", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Sanskrit धर्म (dhárma, “that which upholds or supports”). The definitions pertaining to Buddhism are influenced by dhamma, a loan word from Pali. Doublet of dhamma and firm. The correct English form is dharma, spelled D-H-A-R-M-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The natural order of the universe; natural law, cosmic order.
  2. 2
    One's obligation in respect to one's position in society, or the universe; one's duty, societally or cosmically.
  3. 3
    The teachings of the Buddha as one's personal path to enlightenment.
  4. 4
    The teachings of the Buddha as a practice to be promulgated and taught.
  5. 5
    Rule of conduct.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Sanskrit धर्म (dhárma, “that which upholds or supports”). The definitions pertaining to Buddhism are influenced by dhamma, a loan word from Pali. Doublet of dhamma and firm.

This word in other languages

dharma(Français)Dharma(Deutsch)darma(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dahrma
  • ddharma
  • dhamra
  • dharam
  • dharmma
  • dharrma
  • dhharma
  • dhrama
  • hdarma

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dahrma2ddharma1dhamra2dharam2dharmma1dharrma1dhharma1dhrama2
Edit distance from "dharma"

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 "dharma"?
"dharma" is spelled D-H-A-R-M-A. The IPA pronunciation is /d̪hərm(ɑ)/.
What does "dharma" mean?
As a noun, "dharma" means: The natural order of the universe; natural law, cosmic order.
What words are commonly confused with "dharma"?
"dharma" is commonly confused with "drama", "Dara", "Dhaka". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dharma"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dharma" is /d̪hərm(ɑ)/. 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 "dharma"?
Learned borrowing from Sanskrit धर्म (dhárma, “that which upholds or supports”). The definitions pertaining to Buddhism are influenced by dhamma, a loan word from Pali. Doublet of dhamma and firm. 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 “dharma”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-H-A-R-M-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /d̪hərm(ɑ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “drama” - see the side-by-side comparison. dharma vs drama
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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