dilute

/daɪˈljuːt/

//daɪˈljuːt// verb

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

"dilute" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dilute” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,951. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,951
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make thinner by adding solvent to a solution, especially by adding water.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dilute · dilute · English

dilute · rank #22,951 · 8 variants · 8 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,951
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 8 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disabling

Nearest frequency peer: disabling (+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 “dilute”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dilute” 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).

dilute vs Duluth
50% similar
dilute vs disuse
67% similar
dilute vs dispute
71% similar

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

Key facts for dilute
PropertyValue
Headworddilute
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/daɪˈljuːt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#22,951
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dilute”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dilutelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “disabling” (#22,952), “disillusioned” (#22,953), “deport” (#22,948). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dilute” is #22,951. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around dilute (IPA /daɪˈljuːt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #22,951 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for dilute, with forms such as "ddilute", "dillute", and "diltue". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Duluth", "disuse", "dispute", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin dīlūtus, from dīluere (“to wash away, dissolve, cause to melt, dilute”), from dī-, dis- (“away, apart”) + luere (“to wash”). See lave, and compare deluge. The correct English form is dilute, spelled D-I-L-U-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make thinner by adding solvent to a solution, especially by adding water.
  2. 2
    To weaken, especially by adding a foreign substance.
  3. 3
    To cause the value of individual shares or the stake of a shareholder to decrease by increasing the total number of shares.
  4. 4
    To become attenuated, thin, or weak.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mix their watery store / With the chyle's current, and dilute it more.
  2. For if these Colours be diluted and weakened by the Mixture of any adventitious light, the distance between the places of the Paper will not be so great.

Etymology

From Latin dīlūtus, from dīluere (“to wash away, dissolve, cause to melt, dilute”), from dī-, dis- (“away, apart”) + luere (“to wash”). See lave, and compare deluge.

This word in other languages

diluir(Español)diluer(Français)verdünnen(Deutsch)diluir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddilute
  • dillute
  • diltue
  • diluet
  • dilutte
  • diulte
  • dliute
  • idlute

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dilute - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddilute1dillute1diltue2diluet2dilutte1diulte2dliute2idlute2
Edit distance from "dilute"

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 "dilute"?
"dilute" is spelled D-I-L-U-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /daɪˈljuːt/.
What does "dilute" mean?
As a verb, "dilute" means: To make thinner by adding solvent to a solution, especially by adding water.
What words are commonly confused with "dilute"?
"dilute" is commonly confused with "Duluth", "disuse", "dispute". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dilute"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dilute" is /daɪˈljuːt/. 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 "dilute"?
From Latin dīlūtus, from dīluere (“to wash away, dissolve, cause to melt, dilute”), from dī-, dis- (“away, apart”) + luere (“to wash”). See lave, and compare deluge. 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 "dilute", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

deport#22,948draped#22,957concur#22,936Cicero#22,925

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

finesse8 variantscastor8 variantsbumpy8 variantsbullion8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list