dildo

/ˈdɪldəʊ/

//ˈdɪldəʊ// noun

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

"dildo" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dildo” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,121. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,121
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device used for sexual penetration or another sexual activity.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dildo · dildo · English

dildo · rank #17,121 · 7 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,121
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH diffusion

Nearest frequency peer: diffusion (-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 “dildo”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dildo” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dildo vs dino
60% similar
dildo vs dill
60% similar
dildo vs dodo
60% similar

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

Key facts for dildo
PropertyValue
Headworddildo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪldəʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,121
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dildo”

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).dildolands 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 “diffusion” (#17,120), “distrust” (#17,122), “deviation” (#17,119). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dildo” is #17,121. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around dildo (IPA /ˈdɪldəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,121 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for dildo, with forms such as "ddildo", "didlo", and "dilddo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "dino", "dill", "dodo", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unclear; possibly an alteration of English diddle. Compare the use as an expressive nonsense syllable in often sexual songs and the spelling dil doul, found in e.g. The Maids Complaint for want of a Dil Doul, a song in the library of Samuel Pepys. Unlikely … The correct English form is dildo, spelled D-I-L-D-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device used for sexual penetration or another sexual activity.
  2. 2
    A device used for sexual penetration or another sexual activity.
  3. 3
    Any device or implement.
  4. 4
    An idiot; a bore.
  5. 5
    A columnar cactus of the West Indies (Pilosocereus royenii).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Anything's a dildo if you're brave enough.
  2. Adieu! faint-hearted instrument of lust; / That falselie hath betrayde our equale trust. / Hence-forth no more will I implore thine ayde, / Or thee, or man of cowardize upbrayde. / My little dilldo shall suply their kinde: / A knaue, that moues as light as leaues by winde; / That bendeth not, nor fouldeth anie deale, / But stands as stiff as he were made…

Etymology

Unclear; possibly an alteration of English diddle. Compare the use as an expressive nonsense syllable in often sexual songs and the spelling dil doul, found in e.g. The Maids Complaint for want of a Dil Doul, a song in the library of Samuel Pepys. Unlikely to be related to Italian diletto (“delight”) or Latin dīlātō (“I open up, spread”), often cited etymologies.

This word in other languages

consolador(Español)godemichet(Français)Dildo(Deutsch)dildo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddildo
  • didlo
  • dilddo
  • dilldo
  • dilod
  • dlido
  • idldo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dildo - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddildo1didlo2dilddo1dilldo1dilod2dlido2idldo2
Edit distance from "dildo"

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 "dildo"?
"dildo" is spelled D-I-L-D-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪldəʊ/.
What does "dildo" mean?
As a noun, "dildo" means: A device used for sexual penetration or another sexual activity.
What words are commonly confused with "dildo"?
"dildo" is commonly confused with "dino", "dill", "dodo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dildo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dildo" is /ˈdɪldəʊ/. 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 "dildo"?
Unclear; possibly an alteration of English diddle. Compare the use as an expressive nonsense syllable in often sexual songs and the spelling dil doul, found in e.g. The Maids Complaint for want of a Dil Doul, a song in the library of Samuel Pepys.... 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 "dildo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

demos#17,118elves#17,127crabs#17,113ether#17,131

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

cuddle7 variantsFerris7 variantsfetal7 variantsfiner7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list