dip

/dɪp/

//dɪp// noun

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

"dip" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dip” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #6,561) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#6,561
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A lower section of a road or geological feature.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dip · dip · English

dip · rank #6,561 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,561
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dimensions

Nearest frequency peer: dimensions (-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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “dip”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “dip” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

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).

dip vs do
33% similar
dip vs Dr
0% similar
dip vs DJ
0% similar

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

Key facts for dip
PropertyValue
Headworddip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɪp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#6,561
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “dip”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “dimensions” (#6,560), “disturbing” (#6,562), “diesel” (#6,559). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dip” is #6,561. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for dip is neighbouring look-alikes ("do", "Dr", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /dɪp/. Frequency #6,561 among 3,470 “D” headwords. 18 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Zero misspellings are on record for dip in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "do", "Dr", "DJ", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan, from Proto-West Germanic *duppjan, from Proto-Germanic *dupjaną; see *daupijaną (“to dip”). Related to deep. The correct English form is dip, spelled D-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lower section of a road or geological feature.
  2. 2
    Inclination downward; direction below a horizontal line; slope; pitch.
  3. 3
    The action of dipping or plunging for a moment into a liquid.
  4. 4
    A tank or trough where cattle or sheep are immersed in chemicals to kill parasites.
  5. 5
    A dip stick.
  6. 6
    A swim, usually a short swim to refresh.
  7. 7
    A pickpocket.
  8. 8
    A sauce for dipping.
  9. 9
    The angle from horizontal of a planar geologic surface, such as a fault line.
  10. 10
    A dipped candle.
  11. 11
    A move in many different styles of partner dances, often performed at the end of a dance, in which the follower leans far to the side and is supported by the leader.
  12. 12
    A gymnastic or bodybuilding exercise on parallel bars in which the performer, resting on his hands, lets his arms bend and his body sink until his chin is level with the bars, and then raises himself by straightening his arms.
  13. 13
    The viscid exudation that is dipped out from incisions in the trees. Virgin dip is the runnings of the first year, yellow dip the runnings of subsequent years.
  14. 14
    A sudden drop followed by a climb, usually to avoid obstacles or as the result of getting into an airhole.
  15. 15
    Finely ground tobacco, consumed by placing a small amount between the lip and gum.
  16. 16
    The act of missing out on seeing a sought after bird.
  17. 17
    Fried bread.
  18. 18
    A financial asset in decline, seen as an investment opportunity.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. There is a dip in the road ahead.
  2. They were all doomed to be disappointed, however, for the errant engine decided at Stanley junction to spend the remainder of its crowded hour of freedom on the Aberdeen line, and finally came to rest, short of breath, in the dip between Ballathie and Cargill, near the bridge over the Tay.

Etymology

From Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan, from Proto-West Germanic *duppjan, from Proto-Germanic *dupjaną; see *daupijaną (“to dip”). Related to deep.

This word in other languages

badén(Español)pendage(Français)Senke(Deutsch)

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 "dip"?
"dip" is spelled D-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /dɪp/.
What does "dip" mean?
As a noun, "dip" means: A lower section of a road or geological feature.
What words are commonly confused with "dip"?
"dip" is commonly confused with "do", "Dr", "DJ". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dip" is /dɪp/. 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 "dip"?
From Middle English dippen, from Old English dyppan, from Proto-West Germanic *duppjan, from Proto-Germanic *dupjaną; see *daupijaną (“to dip”). Related to deep. 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 "dip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dot#6,564cos#6,553beg#6,544yup#6,537

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list