dinosaur

/ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/

//ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)// noun

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

"dinosaur" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dinosaur” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,037 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,037
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the animals belonging to the clade Dinosauria, especially those that existed during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and are now extinct.

Key facts for dinosaur
PropertyValue
Headworddinosaur
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#10,037
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dinosaur” 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). dinosaur 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 dinosaur is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,037 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 dinosaur, with forms such as "ddinosaur", "dinnosaur", and "dinoasur". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great”) + σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). Coined as Dinosaur(s) and Dinosauria by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841/1842. The correct English form is dinosaur, spelled D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the animals belonging to the clade Dinosauria, especially those that existed during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and are now extinct.
  2. 2
    Any member of the clade Dinosauria other than birds.
  3. 3
    Any extinct reptile, not necessarily belonging to Dinosauria, that existed between about 230 million and 65 million years ago, as well as the stem-mammal Dimetrodon.
  4. 4
    Something or someone that is very old or old-fashioned, or is not willing to change and adapt.
  5. 5
    Anything no longer in common use or practice.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great”) + σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). Coined as Dinosaur(s) and Dinosauria by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841/1842.

Synonyms

non-avian dinosaurfossilold fartdinosaur

This word in other languages

dinosaurio(Español)dinosaure(Français)Dinosaurier(Deutsch)dinossauro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddinosaur,dinnosaur,dinoasur,dinosaru,dinosaurr,dinossaur,dinosuar,dinsoaur,dionsaur,dniosaur,idnosaur

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddinosaur1dinnosaur1dinoasur2dinosaru2dinosaurr1dinossaur1dinosuar2dinsoaur2
Edit distance from "dinosaur"

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 "dinosaur"?
"dinosaur" is spelled D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "dinosaur" mean?
As a noun, "dinosaur" means: Any of the animals belonging to the clade Dinosauria, especially those that existed during the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods and are now extinct.
What are common misspellings of "dinosaur"?
Common misspellings include "ddinosaur", "dinnosaur", "dinoasur", "dinosaru", "dinosaurr". The correct spelling is "dinosaur".
How do you pronounce "dinosaur"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dinosaur" is /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "dinosaur"?
From Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “terrible, awesome, mighty, fearfully great”) + σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard, reptile”). Coined as Dinosaur(s) and Dinosauria by paleontologist Richard Owen in 1841/1842. 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 “dinosaur”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-N-O-S-A-U-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdaɪnəsɔː(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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