Donegal

/ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/

//ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl// name

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

The verdict

“Donegal” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,144 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#31,144
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A county in the north-west of Ireland.

Key facts for Donegal
PropertyValue
HeadwordDonegal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#31,144
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Donegal” 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). Donegal 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 Donegal is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,144 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 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Donegal, with forms such as "ddonegal", "dnoegal", and "doengal". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Anglicization of Irish Dún na nGall (literally “fort of the foreigners or strangers”). The correct English form is Donegal, spelled D-O-N-E-G-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A county in the north-west of Ireland.
  2. 2
    A town in County Donegal (Irish grid ref G 9278).
  3. 3
    A place in Canada:
  4. 4
    A place in Canada:
  5. 5
    A place in the United States:
  6. 6
    A place in the United States:
  7. 7
    A place in the United States:

Etymology

Anglicization of Irish Dún na nGall (literally “fort of the foreigners or strangers”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddonegal,dnoegal,doengal,doneagl,donegall,doneggal,donegla,dongeal,donnegal,odnegal

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddonegal1dnoegal2doengal2doneagl2donegall1doneggal1donegla2dongeal2
Edit distance from "Donegal"

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 "Donegal"?
"Donegal" is spelled D-O-N-E-G-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/.
What does "Donegal" mean?
As a proper noun, "Donegal" means: A county in the north-west of Ireland.
What are common misspellings of "Donegal"?
Common misspellings include "ddonegal", "dnoegal", "doengal", "doneagl", "donegall". The correct spelling is "Donegal".
How do you pronounce "Donegal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Donegal" is /ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/. 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 "Donegal"?
Anglicization of Irish Dún na nGall (literally “fort of the foreigners or strangers”). 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 “Donegal”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-N-E-G-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdʌnɪɡɔːl/ (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