dithering

noun

"dithering" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dithering” is an uncommon English word, ranked #65,841 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#65,841
frequency rank, English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of one who dithers.

Key facts for dithering
PropertyValue
Headworddithering
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters9
Frequency rank#65,841
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dithering” 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). dithering 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 dithering is 9 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #65,841 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The act of one who dithers.".

Zero misspellings are on record for dithering in our index -- a straightforward spelling with little room for common typos. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is dithering, spelled D-I-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The act of one who dithers.

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 "dithering"?
"dithering" is spelled D-I-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.
What does "dithering" mean?
As a noun, "dithering" means: The act of one who dithers.
What language does "dithering" come from?
"dithering" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “dithering”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-T-H-E-R-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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