dignity

/ˈdɪɡnɪti/

//ˈdɪɡnɪti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dignity” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,892 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,892
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being dignified or worthy of esteem: elevation of mind or character.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dignity vs divinity
75% similar
dignity vs digit
71% similar
dignity vs digits
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for dignity
PropertyValue
Headworddignity
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪɡnɪti/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,892
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dignity” 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). dignity lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dignity is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɪɡnɪti/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,892 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for dignity, with forms such as "ddignity", "dginity", and "diggnity". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "divinity", "digit", "digits", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos, from *de… The correct English form is dignity, spelled D-I-G-N-I-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being dignified or worthy of esteem: elevation of mind or character.
  2. 2
    Decorum, formality, stateliness.
  3. 3
    High office, rank, or station.
  4. 4
    One holding high rank; a dignitary.
  5. 5
    Fundamental principle; axiom; maxim.
  6. 6
    Respect.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos, from *deḱ- (“to take”). See also decus (“honor, esteem”) and decet (“it is fitting”). Cognate to deign. Doublet of dainty. In this sense, displaced native Old English weorþsċipe, which became Modern English worship.

Synonyms

worthworthiness

This word in other languages

dignidad(Español)dignité(Français)Würde(Deutsch)dignidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddignity,dginity,diggnity,diginty,dignitty,dignityy,digniyt,dignnity,digntiy,dingity,idgnity

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dignity - 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.

ddignity1dginity2diggnity1diginty2dignitty1dignityy1digniyt2dignnity1
Edit distance from "dignity"

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 "dignity"?
"dignity" is spelled D-I-G-N-I-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪɡnɪti/.
What does "dignity" mean?
As a noun, "dignity" means: The state of being dignified or worthy of esteem: elevation of mind or character.
What words are commonly confused with "dignity"?
"dignity" is commonly confused with "divinity", "digit", "digits". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dignity"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dignity" is /ˈdɪɡnɪti/. 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 "dignity"?
Inherited from Middle English dignyte, from Old French dignité, from Latin dignitās (“worthiness, merit, dignity, grandeur, authority, rank, office”), from dignus (“worthy, appropriate”), from Proto-Italic *degnos, from Proto-Indo-European *dḱ-nos... 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 “dignity”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-G-N-I-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɪɡnɪti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “divinity” - see the side-by-side comparison. dignity vs divinity
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list