dib

/dɪb/

//dɪb// verb

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

"dib" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dib” is uncommon English (frequency #60,017 among 26,416 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,017
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To dig a hole by poking; especially, to dig a small hole in soil for the purpose of planting a bulb or seed.

Key facts for dib
PropertyValue
Headworddib
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɪb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#60,017
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dib” 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). dib lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

dib is uncommon English at frequency #60,017 among 26,416 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /dɪb/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for dib, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Variation of dip and/or dab. The correct English form is dib, spelled D-I-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    To dig a hole by poking; especially, to dig a small hole in soil for the purpose of planting a bulb or seed.
  2. 2
    To move in a rapid, cautious manner; especially, with movement like a mouse or rat.

Etymology

Variation of dip and/or dab.

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 "dib"?
"dib" is spelled D-I-B. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪb/.
What does "dib" mean?
As a verb, "dib" means: To dig a hole by poking; especially, to dig a small hole in soil for the purpose of planting a bulb or seed.
How do you pronounce "dib"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dib" is /dɪb/. 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 "dib"?
Variation of dip and/or dab. 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 “dib”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪb/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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