do the deed
"do-the-deed" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“do the deed” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To have sex.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | do the deed |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “do the deed” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for do the deed is 11 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
do the deed has no tracked misspelling variants, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Earliest attested usage is from Middle English: 1340, Ayenbite of Inwyt "Ȝete þai ben al clene; Haue þai no dede y-done" ("Yet they are all clean; They have not had intercourse"); and in 1443, Reginald Pecock, The Rule of Christian Religion: "By force hath … The correct English form is do the deed, spelled D-O- -T-H-E- -D-E-E-D.
Definition
- 1To have sex.
- 2Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: to do a given deed.
Etymology
Earliest attested usage is from Middle English: 1340, Ayenbite of Inwyt "Ȝete þai ben al clene; Haue þai no dede y-done" ("Yet they are all clean; They have not had intercourse"); and in 1443, Reginald Pecock, The Rule of Christian Religion: "By force hath he..don that dede, That he hath reft hire of hire maydenhede." (By force he has done that deed, That he has deprived her of her virginity.)
Synonyms
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "do the deed"?
What does "do the deed" mean?
What is the origin of the word "do the deed"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “do the deed”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-O- -T-H-E- -D-E-E-D - 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.