dolphin

/ˈdɒlf.ɪn/

//ˈdɒlf.ɪn// noun

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

"dolphin" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dolphin” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #11,686. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#11,686
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dolphin · dolphin · English

dolphin · rank #11,686 · 11 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #11,686
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH DL

Nearest frequency peer: DL (-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 “dolphin”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dolphin” 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).

dolphin vs Dolph
57% similar
dolphin vs Delphi
57% similar
dolphin vs dauphin
71% similar

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

Key facts for dolphin
PropertyValue
Headworddolphin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɒlf.ɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#11,686
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dolphin”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dolphinlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “DL” (#11,685), “dove” (#11,687), “disappoint” (#11,684). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dolphin” is #11,686. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around dolphin (IPA /ˈdɒlf.ɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #11,686 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for dolphin, with forms such as "ddolphin", "dlophin", and "dolhpin". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Dolph", "Delphi", "dauphin", 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 Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin. Compare Swedish delfin. Doublet of dauphin. … The correct English form is dolphin, spelled D-O-L-P-H-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
  2. 2
    A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
  3. 3
    A fish, the mahi-mahi or dorado, Coryphaena hippurus, with a dorsal fin that runs the length of the body, also known for iridescent coloration.
  4. 4
    A depiction of a fish, with a broad indented fin, usually embowed.
  5. 5
    The dauphin, eldest son of the kings of France.
  6. 6
    A mass of iron or lead hung from the yardarm, in readiness to be dropped through the deck and the hull of an enemy's vessel to sink it.
  7. 7
    A kind of wreath or strap of plaited cordage.
  8. 8
    A spar or buoy held by an anchor and furnished with a ring to which ships may fasten their cables.
  9. 9
    A mooring post on a wharf or beach.
  10. 10
    A permanent fender designed to protect a heavy boat, bridge, or coastal structure from the impact of large floating objects such as ice, floating logs, or vessels.
  11. 11
    One of the handles above the trunnions by which a gun was lifted.
  12. 12
    A person who buys shares on the primary market only to resell them immediately at a high profit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. At each end of the piers in the water, in cases where several rows of pile are driven, a sort of cutwater should be formed, in order to ward off heavy bodies, such as floating trees, ice, etc. and prevent them from injuring the superstructure (called in German constructions, "Eisbrecher," or ice-breaker). This is usually done by driving one pile by itself…
  2. An ice-breaker or dolphin was also constructed during the latter part of the autumn, a little above the site for No. 2 dam, or that for the twoer nearest the Pesth shore; this dolphin, which served as a protection against the ice, rafts, &c. was constructed at this time, so that a means might be afforded of judging of the actual force of the ice during th…

Etymology

From Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin. Compare Swedish delfin. Doublet of dauphin. Displaced native Old English mereswīn (literally “sea pig”).

This word in other languages

delfín(Español)dauphin(Français)Delphin(Deutsch)golfinho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddolphin
  • dlophin
  • dolhpin
  • dollphin
  • dolphhin
  • dolphinn
  • dolphni
  • dolpihn
  • dolpphin
  • doplhin
  • odlphin

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddolphin1dlophin2dolhpin2dollphin1dolphhin1dolphinn1dolphni2dolpihn2
Edit distance from "dolphin"

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 "dolphin"?
"dolphin" is spelled D-O-L-P-H-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɒlf.ɪn/.
What does "dolphin" mean?
As a noun, "dolphin" means: A carnivorous aquatic mammal in one of several families of the infraorder Cetacea, famed for its intelligence and occasional willingness to approach humans.
What words are commonly confused with "dolphin"?
"dolphin" is commonly confused with "Dolph", "Delphi", "dauphin". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dolphin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dolphin" is /ˈdɒlf.ɪn/. 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 "dolphin"?
From Middle English delphyn, from Latin delphīnus, from Ancient Greek δελφίς (delphís), from δελφύς (delphús, “womb”); the modern form in -ol- is probably influenced by the pronunciation of Middle French dauphin. Compare Swedish delfin. Doublet of... 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 "dolphin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dumping#11,688Finnish#11,695fixture#11,696confuse#11,671

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Carlton11 variantshashtag11 variantsbeliever11 variantsbarracks11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list