divot

/ˈdɪvət/

//ˈdɪvət// noun

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

The verdict

“divot” is an uncommon English word, ranked #82,235 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#82,235
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A torn-up piece of turf, especially by a golf club in making a stroke or by a horse's hoof.

Key facts for divot
PropertyValue
Headworddivot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɪvət/
Letters5
Frequency rank#82,235
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “divot” 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). divot 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 divot is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɪvət/. Corpus data places it at rank #82,235 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for divot in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry -- nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1530s, Scots divot (“turf”), also spelt devat, diffat, and the earliest form (1435), duvat(e), from Scottish Gaelic dubhad, a reduced form of dubh-fhàd, literally “black sod” (compare fàl (“turf, sod”)). The correct English form is divot, spelled D-I-V-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A torn-up piece of turf, especially by a golf club in making a stroke or by a horse's hoof.
  2. 2
    A disruption in an otherwise smooth contour.
  3. 3
    A drop in a graph between two linear portions (example)

Etymology

1530s, Scots divot (“turf”), also spelt devat, diffat, and the earliest form (1435), duvat(e), from Scottish Gaelic dubhad, a reduced form of dubh-fhàd, literally “black sod” (compare fàl (“turf, sod”)).

This word in other languages

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 "divot"?
"divot" is spelled D-I-V-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɪvət/.
What does "divot" mean?
As a noun, "divot" means: A torn-up piece of turf, especially by a golf club in making a stroke or by a horse's hoof.
How do you pronounce "divot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "divot" is /ˈdɪvət/. 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 "divot"?
1530s, Scots divot (“turf”), also spelt devat, diffat, and the earliest form (1435), duvat(e), from Scottish Gaelic dubhad, a reduced form of dubh-fhàd, literally “black sod” (compare fàl (“turf, sod”)). 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 “divot”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-I-V-O-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɪvət/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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