dodge

/dɒd͡ʒ/

//dɒd͡ʒ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“dodge” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,913 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,913
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dodge vs dog
60% similar
dodge vs doe
60% similar
dodge vs done
60% similar

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

Key facts for dodge
PropertyValue
Headworddodge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɒd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,913
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dodge” 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). dodge 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 dodge is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɒd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,913 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for dodge, with forms such as "ddodge", "ddoge", and "doddge". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dog", "doe", "done", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Likely from dialectal dodge, dod, dodd (“to jog, trudge along, totter", also "to jerk, jig”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from unrecorded Middle English *dodden, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dud- (“to move”), related to Old English dydrian, dyderian (“t… The correct English form is dodge, spelled D-O-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
  2. 2
    To avoid; to sidestep.
  3. 3
    To elude.
  4. 4
    To go, or cause to go, hither and thither.
  5. 5
    To make an area of an image lighter (when processing photographs in a darkroom, this is accomplished by decreasing the exposure of that area to light).
  6. 6
    To follow by dodging, or suddenly shifting from place to place.
  7. 7
    To trick somebody.

Etymology

Likely from dialectal dodge, dod, dodd (“to jog, trudge along, totter", also "to jerk, jig”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from unrecorded Middle English *dodden, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dud- (“to move”), related to Old English dydrian, dyderian (“to delude, deceive”), Middle English dideren (“to tremble, quake, shiver”), English dodder, Norwegian dudra (“to tremble”).

Synonyms

duckevadefudgeskirtshun

This word in other languages

evadir(Español)éviter(Français)ausweichen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddodge,ddoge,doddge,dodeg,dodgge,dogde,oddge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dodge - 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.

ddodge1ddoge2doddge1dodeg2dodgge1dogde2oddge2
Edit distance from "dodge"

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 "dodge"?
"dodge" is spelled D-O-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɒd͡ʒ/.
What does "dodge" mean?
As a verb, "dodge" means: To avoid (something) by moving suddenly out of the way.
What words are commonly confused with "dodge"?
"dodge" is commonly confused with "dog", "doe", "done". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dodge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dodge" is /dɒd͡ʒ/. 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 "dodge"?
Likely from dialectal dodge, dod, dodd (“to jog, trudge along, totter", also "to jerk, jig”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from unrecorded Middle English *dodden, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *dud- (“to move”), related to Old English dydrian, dy... 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 “dodge”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-D-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɒd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dog” - see the side-by-side comparison. dodge vs dog
  • 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