diagonal

/daɪˈæɡənəl/

//daɪˈæɡənəl// adj

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

"diagonal" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“diagonal” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,059. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,059
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron).

Corpus desk

Index EN-diagonal · diagonal · English

diagonal · rank #18,059 · 11 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #18,059
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deductible

Nearest frequency peer: deductible (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “diagonal”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “diagonal” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

diagonal vs diagonally
80% similar

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

Key facts for diagonal
PropertyValue
Headworddiagonal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/daɪˈæɡənəl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#18,059
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “diagonal”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).diagonallands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “deductible” (#18,058), “discredit” (#18,060), “decorating” (#18,057). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “diagonal” is #18,059. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around diagonal (IPA /daɪˈæɡənəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #18,059 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for diagonal, with forms such as "daigonal", "ddiagonal", and "diaggonal". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "diagonally", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French diagonal, from Latin diagōnālis, from Ancient Greek διαγώνιος (diagṓnios, “from angle to angle”), from διά (diá, “across”) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle”). The correct English form is diagonal, spelled D-I-A-G-O-N-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron).
  2. 2
    Having slanted or oblique lines or markings.
  3. 3
    Having a slanted or oblique direction.
  4. 4
    Of or related to the cater-corner (diagonally opposite) legs of a quadruped, whether the front left and back right or front right and back left.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how diagonal appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The visitors' undoing was caused by a diagonal ball from the right which was nodded into the six-yard area by Ian Evatt and finished off by Campbell.

Etymology

From Middle French diagonal, from Latin diagōnālis, from Ancient Greek διαγώνιος (diagṓnios, “from angle to angle”), from διά (diá, “across”) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle”).

Synonyms

aslantaslopeslantedslantingslopedsloping

This word in other languages

diagonal(Español)diagonale(Français)diagonal(Deutsch)diagonal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • daigonal
  • ddiagonal
  • diaggonal
  • diagnoal
  • diagoanl
  • diagonall
  • diagonla
  • diagonnal
  • diaognal
  • digaonal
  • idagonal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

daigonal2ddiagonal1diaggonal1diagnoal2diagoanl2diagonall1diagonla2diagonnal1
Edit distance from "diagonal"

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 "diagonal"?
"diagonal" is spelled D-I-A-G-O-N-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /daɪˈæɡənəl/.
What does "diagonal" mean?
As an adjective, "diagonal" means: Joining two nonadjacent vertices (of a polygon or polyhedron).
What words are commonly confused with "diagonal"?
"diagonal" is commonly confused with "diagonally". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "diagonal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diagonal" is /daɪˈæɡənəl/. 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 "diagonal"?
From Middle French diagonal, from Latin diagōnālis, from Ancient Greek διαγώνιος (diagṓnios, “from angle to angle”), from διά (diá, “across”) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "diagonal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

decorate#18,056Cromwell#18,054Cristina#18,053cookbook#18,047

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

clapping11 variantsBordeaux11 variantsgripping11 variantshayward11 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list