doll

/dɒl/

//dɒl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“doll” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,462 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,462
frequency rank, English
4
letters
3
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small figure resembling a human being that is used as a toy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

doll vs don
50% similar
doll vs dot
50% similar
doll vs dom
50% similar

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

Key facts for doll
PropertyValue
Headworddoll
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɒl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,462
Misspellings tracked3
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doll” 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). doll 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 doll is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɒl/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,462 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for doll, with forms such as "ddoll", "dlol", and "odll". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "don", "dot", "dom", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Doll, pet form of the given name Dorothy. Etymology 1 sense 7 was coined and popularized by American writer Jacqueline Susann in 1966 through her book Valley of the Dolls (1966) and the film adaptation Valley of the Dolls (1967). The correct English form is doll, spelled D-O-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small figure resembling a human being that is used as a toy.
  2. 2
    An attractive young woman.
  3. 3
    An attractive young woman.
  4. 4
    An attractive young woman.
  5. 5
    A term of endearment
  6. 6
    A good-natured, cooperative or helpful person.
  7. 7
    The smallest or pet pig in a litter.
  8. 8
    A short signal post mounted on a bracket mounted on the main signal post, or on a signal gantry.
  9. 9
    A barbiturate or amphetamine pill.

Etymology

From Doll, pet form of the given name Dorothy. Etymology 1 sense 7 was coined and popularized by American writer Jacqueline Susann in 1966 through her book Valley of the Dolls (1966) and the film adaptation Valley of the Dolls (1967).

This word in other languages

muñeca(Español)poupée(Français)Puppe(Deutsch)boneca(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddoll,dlol,odll

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of doll - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ddoll1dlol2odll2
Edit distance from "doll"

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 "doll"?
"doll" is spelled D-O-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /dɒl/.
What does "doll" mean?
As a noun, "doll" means: A small figure resembling a human being that is used as a toy.
What words are commonly confused with "doll"?
"doll" is commonly confused with "don", "dot", "dom". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "doll"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "doll" is /dɒl/. 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 "doll"?
From Doll, pet form of the given name Dorothy. Etymology 1 sense 7 was coined and popularized by American writer Jacqueline Susann in 1966 through her book Valley of the Dolls (1966) and the film adaptation Valley of the Dolls (1967). 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 “doll”

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

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