dict

noun

"dict" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dict” is uncommon English (frequency #74,029 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,029
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A saying; a statement.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dict · dict · English

dict · rank #74,029 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #74,029
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH desiccation

Nearest frequency peer: desiccation (-4 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 “dict”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dict
PropertyValue
Headworddict
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters4
Frequency rank#74,029
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dict” 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).dictfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “desiccation” (#74,025), “deregulate” (#74,024), “dispirited” (#74,034). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dict” is #74,029. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dict is uncommon English at frequency #74,029 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A saying; a statement.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for dict in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dicte, from Latin dictum. Doublet of dictum. The correct English form is dict, spelled D-I-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A saying; a statement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. And accoꝛdyng to theyꝛe dictys reherſyd as thus […]
  2. In the deſcription of King Priams ſtate, we must needes imagine it great, where ſo many forraigne Kings aſſembled in his ayde, in whoſe names we haue confer’d Dares, the Troian Dictes, the Greeke Homer, Virgill, and others, who though in ſome particuler thinges (not momentarily they differ) yet they generally concurre in this, that ſuch Princes with ſuch…

Etymology

From Middle English dicte, from Latin dictum. Doublet of dictum.

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 "dict"?
"dict" is spelled D-I-C-T.
What does "dict" mean?
As a noun, "dict" means: A saying; a statement.
What is the origin of the word "dict"?
From Middle English dicte, from Latin dictum. Doublet of dictum. 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 "dict", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list