dimple

/ˈdɪmpəl/

//ˈdɪmpəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dimple” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,655. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,655
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small depression or indentation in a surface.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dimple · dimple · English

dimple · rank #40,655 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,655
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disengagement

Nearest frequency peer: disengagement (+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 “dimple”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dimple” 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).

dimple vs dipole
67% similar
dimple vs dingle
67% similar
dimple vs dime
67% similar

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

Key facts for dimple
PropertyValue
Headworddimple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪmpəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#40,655
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dimple”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).dimplelands 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 “disengagement” (#40,656), “detritus” (#40,653), “dishing” (#40,657). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dimple” is #40,655. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dimple (IPA /ˈdɪmpəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,655 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dimple, with forms such as "ddimple", "dimlpe", and "dimmple". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "dipole", "dingle", "dime", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dimpel, dimpil, dympull, from Old English *dympel, from Proto-West Germanic *dumpil, from Proto-Germanic *dumpilaz (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpaz (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”… The correct English form is dimple, spelled D-I-M-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small depression or indentation in a surface.
  2. 2
    Specifically, a small natural depression on the skin, especially on the face near the corners of the mouth.
  3. 3
    A small depression, made with a punch on a metal object, as a guide for further drilling.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The accident created a dimple in the hood of the car.
  2. The garden pool's dark surface […] breaks into dimples small and bright.

Etymology

From Middle English dimpel, dimpil, dympull, from Old English *dympel, from Proto-West Germanic *dumpil, from Proto-Germanic *dumpilaz (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpaz (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“deep, hollow”), equivalent to dialectal dump (“deep hole or pool”) + -le (diminutive suffix). Akin to German Low German Dümpel, German Tümpel (“pond, pool”). Related also to Old English dyppan (“to dip”).

Synonyms

dent

This word in other languages

hoyuelo(Español)alvéole(Français)Delle(Deutsch)covinha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddimple
  • dimlpe
  • dimmple
  • dimpel
  • dimplle
  • dimpple
  • dipmle
  • dmiple
  • idmple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddimple1dimlpe2dimmple1dimpel2dimplle1dimpple1dipmle2dmiple2
Edit distance from "dimple"

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 "dimple"?
"dimple" is spelled D-I-M-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪmpəl/.
What does "dimple" mean?
As a noun, "dimple" means: A small depression or indentation in a surface.
What words are commonly confused with "dimple"?
"dimple" is commonly confused with "dipole", "dingle", "dime". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dimple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dimple" is /ˈdɪmpəl/. 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 "dimple"?
From Middle English dimpel, dimpil, dympull, from Old English *dympel, from Proto-West Germanic *dumpil, from Proto-Germanic *dumpilaz (“sink-hole, dimple”), from Proto-Germanic *dumpaz (“hole, hollow, pit”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewb- (“dee... 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 "dimple", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

disown#40,659Deakin#40,645dormer#40,666drivel#40,669

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

carpal9 variantsGaffney9 variantscanter9 variantsbulimia9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list