dirty

/ˈdɜːti/

//ˈdɜːti// adj

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

"dirty" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dirty” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #2,727. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#2,727
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dirty · dirty · English

dirty · rank #2,727 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,727
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH deputy

Nearest frequency peer: deputy (-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 neighbourhood for “dirty”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “dirty” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

dirty vs dry
60% similar
dirty vs DIY
0% similar
dirty vs dit
60% similar

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

Key facts for dirty
PropertyValue
Headworddirty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdɜːti/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,727
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dirty” 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). dirty lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around dirty (IPA /ˈdɜːti/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #2,727 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 18 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for dirty, with forms such as "ddirty", "dirrty", and "dirtty". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dry", "DIY", "dit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite. The correct English form is dirty, spelled D-I-R-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
  2. 2
    That makes one unclean; corrupting, infecting.
  3. 3
    Morally unclean; obscene or indecent, especially sexually.
  4. 4
    Dishonorable; violating accepted standards or rules.
  5. 5
    Corrupt, illegal, or improper.
  6. 6
    Out of tune.
  7. 7
    Of color, discolored by impurities.
  8. 8
    Containing data needing to be written back to memory or disk.
  9. 9
    Carrying illegal drugs among one's possessions or inside of one's bloodstream.
  10. 10
    Used as an intensifier, especially in conjunction with "great".
  11. 11
    Sleety; gusty; stormy.
  12. 12
    Of an alcoholic beverage, especially a cocktail or mixed drink: served with the juice of olives.
  13. 13
    Of food, indulgent in an unhealthy way.
  14. 14
    Of food, covered in an array of indulgent toppings.
  15. 15
    Spreading harmful radiation over a wide area.
  16. 16
    Having the undercarriage or flaps in the down position.
  17. 17
    Of an audio recording: containing unwanted noise.
  18. 18
    Producing much ash.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Despite a walk in the rain, my shoes weren't too dirty.
  2. Many persons are more comfortable when they are dirty than when they are clean; but that does not recommend dirt as a national policy.

Etymology

From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite.

This word in other languages

sucio(Español)sale(Français)schmutzig(Deutsch)sujo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddirty
  • dirrty
  • dirtty
  • dirtyy
  • diryt
  • ditry
  • drity
  • idrty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dirty - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddirty1dirrty1dirtty1dirtyy1diryt2ditry2drity2idrty2
Edit distance from "dirty"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dirty"?
"dirty" is spelled D-I-R-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɜːti/.
What does "dirty" mean?
As an adjective, "dirty" means: Unclean; covered with or containing unpleasant substances such as dirt or grime.
What words are commonly confused with "dirty"?
"dirty" is commonly confused with "dry", "DIY", "dit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dirty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dirty" is /ˈdɜːti/. 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 "dirty"?
From Middle English dirti, alteration of earlier dritti, equivalent to dirt + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German drēterich (“dirty”). See also drite. 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 "dirty", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

depth#2,725error#2,731crash#2,722chose#2,719

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

earned8 variantsheaded8 variantsAmazon8 variantsorigin8 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "dirty". Here's where to go from here.

  • "dirty" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "dry". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #2,727 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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