dimmer

/ˈdɪmɚ/

//ˈdɪmɚ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dimmer” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,111. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,111
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light

Corpus desk

Index EN-dimmer · dimmer · English

dimmer · rank #43,111 · 6 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,111
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dicey

Nearest frequency peer: dicey (-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 “dimmer”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dimmer” 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).

dimmer vs diner
67% similar
dimmer vs diver
67% similar
dimmer vs dinner
67% similar

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

Key facts for dimmer
PropertyValue
Headworddimmer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪmɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#43,111
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dimmer”

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).dimmerlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “dicey” (#43,110), “disinfection” (#43,113), “deprecated” (#43,108). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dimmer” is #43,111. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around dimmer (IPA /ˈdɪmɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,111 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for dimmer, with forms such as "ddimmer", "dimemr", and "dimmerr". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "diner", "diver", "dinner", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dim (verb) + -er. The correct English form is dimmer, spelled D-I-M-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light
  2. 2
    A switch used to select between the low and high headlamp beam on a road vehicle. (usually as "dimmer switch", primarily in North America; elsewhere "dipswitch" or "dipper switch")

Etymology

From dim (verb) + -er.

This word in other languages

dímer(Español)gradateur(Français)Dimmer(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddimmer
  • dimemr
  • dimmerr
  • dimmre
  • dmimer
  • idmmer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddimmer1dimemr2dimmerr1dimmre2dmimer2idmmer2
Edit distance from "dimmer"

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 "dimmer"?
"dimmer" is spelled D-I-M-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪmɚ/.
What does "dimmer" mean?
As a noun, "dimmer" means: A rheostat that is used to vary the intensity of a domestic electric light
What words are commonly confused with "dimmer"?
"dimmer" is commonly confused with "diner", "diver", "dinner". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dimmer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dimmer" is /ˈdɪmɚ/. 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 "dimmer"?
From dim (verb) + -er. 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 "dimmer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

depose#43,107Danzig#43,104copier#43,092egress#43,132

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

daffy6 variantscoyne6 variantsChoy6 variantsBissau6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list