ditto

/ˈdɪtəʊ/

//ˈdɪtəʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ditto” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,595. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,595
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which was stated before, the aforesaid, the above, the same, likewise.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ditto · ditto · English

ditto · rank #17,595 · 5 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,595
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH disciple

Nearest frequency peer: disciple (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “ditto”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “ditto” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

ditto vs ditty
80% similar
ditto vs Dutton
50% similar
ditto vs dit
60% similar

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

Key facts for ditto
PropertyValue
Headwordditto
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪtəʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,595
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ditto”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dittolands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “disciple” (#17,594), “divergent” (#17,596), “doctorate” (#17,597). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “ditto” is #17,595. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around ditto (IPA /ˈdɪtəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,595 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for ditto, with forms such as "dditto", "dito", and "ditot". 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 also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "ditty", "Dutton", "dit", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1625. From regional Italian ditto, variant of detto, past participle of dire (“to say”), from Latin dīcō (“I say, I speak”). Not related to English dittography or Italian dito (“finger”). The specific meaning of making copies of paper come… The correct English form is ditto, spelled D-I-T-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which was stated before, the aforesaid, the above, the same, likewise.
  2. 2
    A duplicate or copy of a document, particularly one created by a spirit duplicator.
  3. 3
    A copy; an imitation.
  4. 4
    The ditto mark, 〃; a symbol, represented by two apostrophes, inverted commas, or quotation marks (" "), indicating that the item preceding is to be repeated.
  5. 5
    A suit of clothes of the same color throughout.
  6. 6
    A copy made by (run off by) a ditto machine (especially, a worksheet thus reproduced).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [...] they entered a dismal-looking parlour, whose brick-red walls and ditto curtains were scantily lighted by a single lamp, though it was of the last new patent—[…]
  2. […]a spacious table in the centre, and a variety of smaller dittos in the corners:[…]

Etymology

First attested in 1625. From regional Italian ditto, variant of detto, past participle of dire (“to say”), from Latin dīcō (“I say, I speak”). Not related to English dittography or Italian dito (“finger”). The specific meaning of making copies of paper comes from ditto machine, a genericization from the brand name of a spirit duplicator.

This word in other languages

ídem(Español)idem(Français)dito(Deutsch)de acordo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dditto
  • dito
  • ditot
  • dtito
  • idtto

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dditto1dito1ditot2dtito2idtto2
Edit distance from "ditto"

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 "ditto"?
"ditto" is spelled D-I-T-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪtəʊ/.
What does "ditto" mean?
As a noun, "ditto" means: That which was stated before, the aforesaid, the above, the same, likewise.
What words are commonly confused with "ditto"?
"ditto" is commonly confused with "ditty", "Dutton", "dit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ditto"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ditto" is /ˈdɪtəʊ/. 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 "ditto"?
First attested in 1625. From regional Italian ditto, variant of detto, past participle of dire (“to say”), from Latin dīcō (“I say, I speak”). Not related to English dittography or Italian dito (“finger”). The specific meaning of making copies of ... 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 "ditto", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

gland#17,620chops#17,567binds#17,551jumbo#17,651

Similar misspelling depth

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

digs5 variantsfife5 variantsgeez5 variantskale5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list