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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,561 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,561
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A lower section of a road or geological feature.

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)

Where “dip” 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). dip 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 dip is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,561 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “dip”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “do” - see the side-by-side comparison. dip vs do
  • 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