doff

/dɒf/

//dɒf// verb

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

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

The verdict

“doff” is an uncommon English word, ranked #83,192 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#83,192
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).

Key facts for doff
PropertyValue
Headworddoff
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dɒf/
Letters4
Frequency rank#83,192
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doff” 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). doff 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 doff is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɒf/. Corpus data places it at rank #83,192 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for doff in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂epó The verb is derived from Late Middle English doffen (“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”), a contraction of Middle English do off, don off, from Old English dōn of, from dōn (“… The correct English form is doff, spelled D-O-F-F.

Definition

  1. 1
    To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).
  2. 2
    To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).
  3. 3
    To undress (oneself); to divest, to strip.
  4. 4
    To cast aside or get rid of (something), to throw off.
  5. 5
    To remove (a bobbin or spindle which is full of spun yarn) from a spinning frame for replacement with an empty one.
  6. 6
    To remove (small pieces of cotton or other plant fibre, etc.) from a carding cylinder.
  7. 7
    To put off or turn away (someone) with an excuse, etc.
  8. 8
    To remove or tip a hat or other headwear in greeting or salutation, or as a mark of respect.
  9. 9
    Followed by with: to remove or take off something worn on the body, or something carried.

Etymology

PIE word *h₂epó The verb is derived from Late Middle English doffen (“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”), a contraction of Middle English do off, don off, from Old English dōn of, from dōn (“to do; to put; to take off, remove”) + of (“from; off”). Dōn is derived from Proto-West Germanic *dōn (“to do; to place, put”), from Proto-Germanic *dōną (“to do; to make; to place, put”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to do; to place, put”). By surface analysis, do + off. Compare don (by surface analysis, do + on), dout (do + out), dup (do + up). The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

ôter(Français)tirar(Português)

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 "doff"?
"doff" is spelled D-O-F-F. The IPA pronunciation is /dɒf/.
What does "doff" mean?
As a verb, "doff" means: To remove or take off (something worn on the body such as armour or clothing, or something carried).
How do you pronounce "doff"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "doff" is /dɒf/. 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 "doff"?
PIE word *h₂epó The verb is derived from Late Middle English doffen (“to take off (clothing); to remove (headwear) as a sign of respect; to remove (grease) by skimming”), a contraction of Middle English do off, don off, from Old English dōn of, f... 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 “doff”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-F-F - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dɒf/ (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