dictionary

/ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/

//ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dictionary” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,891. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,891
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings or senses, oftentimes also containing information on its etymolog...

Corpus desk

Index EN-dictionary · dictionary · English

dictionary · rank #6,891 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,891
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Diana

Nearest frequency peer: Diana (-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 “dictionary”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dictionary” 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
Key facts for dictionary
PropertyValue
Headworddictionary
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#6,891
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dictionary”

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).dictionarylands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “Diana” (#6,890), “dignity” (#6,892), “diamonds” (#6,889). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dictionary” is #6,891. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around dictionary (IPA /ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,891 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for dictionary, with forms such as "dcitionary", "ddictionary", and "dicctionary". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Medieval Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Medieval Latin -tiō Medieval Latin dictiō Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āsios Medi… The correct English form is dictionary, spelled D-I-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings or senses, oftentimes also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, translations, as well as other relevant information.
  2. 2
    A reference work on a particular subject or activity in which the entries are arranged alphabetically; an alphabetical encyclopedia.
  3. 3
    A person or thing regarded as a repository or compendium of information.
  4. 4
    The collection of words used or understood by a particular person; vocabulary.
  5. 5
    A synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.
  6. 6
    An associative array, a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a dictionary (noun sense 1).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If you want to know the meaning of a word, look it up in the dictionary.
  2. But what other kind(s) of syntactic information should be included in Lexical Entries? Traditional dictionaries such as Hornby's (1974) Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of Current English include not only categorial information in their entries, but also information about the range of Complements which a given item permits (this information is represe…

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Medieval Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Medieval Latin -tiō Medieval Latin dictiō Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āsios Medieval Latin -ārius Medieval Latin -ārium Medieval Latin dictiōnāriumlbor. Middle English dixionare English dictionary From Middle English dixionare, a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin dictiōnārium, from Latin dictiōnārius, from dictiō (“a speaking”), from dictus, perfect past participle of dīcō (“to speak”) + -ārium (“room, place”). By surface analysis, diction + -ary.

Synonyms

dictdict.dictionaryexplanatory dictionaryinterpreterlexicon

This word in other languages

diccionario(Español)dictionnaire(Français)Wörterbuch(Deutsch)dicionário(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dcitionary
  • ddictionary
  • dicctionary
  • dicitonary
  • dictinoary
  • dictioanry
  • dictionarry
  • dictionaryy
  • dictionayr
  • dictionnary
  • dictionray
  • dictoinary
  • dicttionary
  • ditcionary
  • idctionary

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dictionary - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

dcitionary2ddictionary1dicctionary1dicitonary2dictinoary2dictioanry2dictionarry1dictionaryy1
Edit distance from "dictionary"

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 "dictionary"?
"dictionary" is spelled D-I-C-T-I-O-N-A-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/.
What does "dictionary" mean?
As a noun, "dictionary" means: A reference work listing words or names from one or more languages, usually ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings or senses, oftentimes also containing information on its etymolog...
What are common misspellings of "dictionary"?
Common misspellings include "dcitionary", "ddictionary", "dicctionary", "dicitonary", "dictinoary". The correct spelling is "dictionary".
How do you pronounce "dictionary"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dictionary" is /ˈdɪk.ʃə.nə.ɹi/. 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 "dictionary"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- Proto-Indo-European *déyḱeti Proto-Italic *deikō Medieval Latin dīcō Proto-Indo-European *-tisder. Proto-Italic *-tjō Medieval Latin -tiō Medieval Latin dictiō Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-... 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 "dictionary", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

complexity#6,883enthusiasm#6,899instructor#6,925supplement#6,842

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

associations15 variantsthreshold15 variantsreasonably15 variantsnavigation15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list