dignify

/ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ/

//ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ// verb

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

"dignify" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dignify” is uncommon English (frequency #63,563 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,563
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To invest with dignity or honour.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dignify · dignify · English

dignify · rank #63,563 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #63,563
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH differentiable

Nearest frequency peer: differentiable (-2 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 “dignify”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for dignify
PropertyValue
Headworddignify
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#63,563
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “dignify” in English

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).dignifyfalls 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: “differentiable” (#63,561), “dimorphism” (#63,565), “Dieppe” (#63,560). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dignify” is #63,563. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dignify is uncommon English at frequency #63,563 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

dignify doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French dignifier, from Late Latin dignificare, from dignus (“worthy”) + ficare (in comp.), facere (“to make”). See deign and fact. The correct English form is dignify, spelled D-I-G-N-I-F-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    To invest with dignity or honour.
  2. 2
    To give distinction to.
  3. 3
    To exalt in rank.
  4. 4
    To treat as worthy or acceptable; to indulge or condone by acknowledging.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Your worth will dignify our feast.
  2. Or, when more deeply moved, he would exclaim-- "As noble thoughts the inward being grace, So noble whiskers dignify the face."

Etymology

From Old French dignifier, from Late Latin dignificare, from dignus (“worthy”) + ficare (in comp.), facere (“to make”). See deign and fact.

This word in other languages

honorer(Français)würdigen(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 "dignify"?
"dignify" is spelled D-I-G-N-I-F-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ/.
What does "dignify" mean?
As a verb, "dignify" means: To invest with dignity or honour.
How do you pronounce "dignify"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dignify" is /ˈdɪɡnɪfaɪ/. 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 "dignify"?
From Old French dignifier, from Late Latin dignificare, from dignus (“worthy”) + ficare (in comp.), facere (“to make”). See deign and fact. 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 "dignify", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

demerit#63,554damsels#63,544Edgware#63,583currier#63,538

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list