doghouse

noun

"doghouse" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“doghouse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #48,708 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#48,708
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any small house or structure or enclosure used to house a dog.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

doghouse vs dollhouse
78% similar

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

Key facts for doghouse
PropertyValue
Headworddoghouse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Frequency rank#48,708
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doghouse” 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). doghouse 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 doghouse is 8 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #48,708 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for doghouse, with forms such as "ddoghouse", "dgohouse", and "dogghouse". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "dollhouse", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of dog + house. The correct English form is doghouse, spelled D-O-G-H-O-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any small house or structure or enclosure used to house a dog.
  2. 2
    A structure of small size, similar to a doghouse, but offering useful shelter for a human.
  3. 3
    Mechanically, an equipment cover with an opening, with a shape resembling a doghouse.
  4. 4
    A difficult or demoralizing situation.
  5. 5
    A traffic signal with five sections: two on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top.
  6. 6
    Any shabby or disreputable establishment.
  7. 7
    The condition of being in the doghouse (subject to someone's anger or disapproval).

Etymology

Compound of dog + house.

Synonyms

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddoghouse,dgohouse,dogghouse,doghhouse,doghosue,doghoues,doghousse,doghuose,dogohuse,dohgouse,odghouse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddoghouse1dgohouse2dogghouse1doghhouse1doghosue2doghoues2doghousse1doghuose2
Edit distance from "doghouse"

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 "doghouse"?
"doghouse" is spelled D-O-G-H-O-U-S-E.
What does "doghouse" mean?
As a noun, "doghouse" means: Any small house or structure or enclosure used to house a dog.
What words are commonly confused with "doghouse"?
"doghouse" is commonly confused with "dollhouse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "doghouse"?
Compound of dog + house. 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 “doghouse”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-G-H-O-U-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “dollhouse” - see the side-by-side comparison. doghouse vs dollhouse
  • 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