dodo

/ˈdəʊdəʊ/

//ˈdəʊdəʊ// noun

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

"dodo" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dodo” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,624. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,624
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dodo · dodo · English

dodo · rank #33,624 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #33,624
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH divest

Nearest frequency peer: divest (-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 “dodo”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dodo” 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).

dodo vs dog
50% similar
dodo vs don
50% similar
dodo vs DVD
0% similar

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

Key facts for dodo
PropertyValue
Headworddodo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdəʊdəʊ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#33,624
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dodo”

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).dodolands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “divest” (#33,623), “draconian” (#33,625), “disparaging” (#33,621). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dodo” is #33,624. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around dodo (IPA /ˈdəʊdəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,624 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for dodo, with forms such as "ddodo", "ddoo", and "doddo". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dog", "don", "DVD", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain. Perhaps from obsolete Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”) or Dutch dodaars. First attested in the 17th century. The correct English form is dodo, spelled D-O-D-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
  2. 2
    A person or organisation which is very old or has very old-fashioned views or is not willing to change and adapt.
  3. 3
    A hole in one.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In spite of the most active search, during the last century, no information respecting the dodo was obtained, and some authors have gone so far as to pretend that it never existed; […]
  2. Within a very few years after these islands shall have become regularly settled, in all probability this fox will be classed with the dodo, as an animal which has perished from the face of the earth.

Etymology

Uncertain. Perhaps from obsolete Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”) or Dutch dodaars. First attested in the 17th century.

This word in other languages

dodo(Español)dodo(Français)Dodo(Deutsch)dodó(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddodo
  • ddoo
  • doddo
  • dood
  • oddo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddodo1ddoo2doddo1dood2oddo2
Edit distance from "dodo"

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 "dodo"?
"dodo" is spelled D-O-D-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdəʊdəʊ/.
What does "dodo" mean?
As a noun, "dodo" means: A large, flightless bird, †Raphus cucullatus, related to the pigeon, that is now extinct (since the 1600s) and was native to Mauritius.
What words are commonly confused with "dodo"?
"dodo" is commonly confused with "dog", "don", "DVD". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dodo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dodo" is /ˈdəʊdəʊ/. 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 "dodo"?
Uncertain. Perhaps from obsolete Portuguese doudo (“fool, simpleton, silly, stupid”) or Dutch dodaars. First attested in the 17th century. 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 "dodo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Eine#33,631devs#33,614Falk#33,644FOSS#33,655

Similar misspelling depth

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

curie5 variantsFinns5 variantsIgbo5 variantsKauai5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list