diaphanous

/daɪˈæf.ən.əs/

//daɪˈæf.ən.əs// adj

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

"diaphanous" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“diaphanous” is uncommon English (frequency #98,024 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#98,024
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Transparent or translucent; allowing light to pass through; capable of being seen through.

Corpus desk

Index EN-diaphanous · diaphanous · English

diaphanous · rank #98,024 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #98,024
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diacetyl

Nearest frequency peer: diacetyl (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “diaphanous”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “diaphanous” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for diaphanous
PropertyValue
Headworddiaphanous
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/daɪˈæf.ən.əs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#98,024
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “diaphanous” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).diaphanousfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “diacetyl” (#98,023), “diarrheal” (#98,025), “diable” (#98,022). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “diaphanous” is #98,024. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

diaphanous is uncommon English at frequency #98,024 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /daɪˈæf.ən.əs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for diaphanous, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Ancient Greek διαφανής (diaphanḗs), from δια- (dia-, “through”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine, appear”). The correct English form is diaphanous, spelled D-I-A-P-H-A-N-O-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Transparent or translucent; allowing light to pass through; capable of being seen through.
  2. 2
    Of a fine, almost transparent, texture; gossamer; light and insubstantial.
  3. 3
    Isorefractive, having an identical refractive index.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds.
  2. Adam requires a touch of feminine lace and a whisper of diaphanous silk, not a direct vision of the gaping maw of the human vulva.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Ancient Greek διαφανής (diaphanḗs), from δια- (dia-, “through”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine, appear”).

This word in other languages

diáfano(Español)diaphane(Français)durchscheinend(Deutsch)

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 "diaphanous"?
"diaphanous" is spelled D-I-A-P-H-A-N-O-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /daɪˈæf.ən.əs/.
What does "diaphanous" mean?
As an adjective, "diaphanous" means: Transparent or translucent; allowing light to pass through; capable of being seen through.
How do you pronounce "diaphanous"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "diaphanous" is /daɪˈæf.ən.əs/. 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 "diaphanous"?
From Medieval Latin diaphanus, from Ancient Greek διαφανής (diaphanḗs), from δια- (dia-, “through”) + φαίνω (phaínō, “to shine, appear”). 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 "diaphanous", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

diclofenac#98,026Ehrlichman#98,058empiricist#98,069craniotomy#97,978

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list