Dora

/ˈdoɹ.ə/

//ˈdoɹ.ə// name

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

The verdict

“Dora” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #16,893 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#16,893
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A female given name from Ancient Greek.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Dora vs Dr
50% similar
Dora vs dry
25% similar
Dora vs dot
25% similar

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

Key facts for Dora
PropertyValue
HeadwordDora
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈdoɹ.ə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#16,893
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Dora” 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). Dora 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 Dora is 4 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdoɹ.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #16,893 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A female given name from Ancient Greek.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Dora, with forms such as "ddora", "doar", and "dorra". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Dr", "dry", "dot", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: A diminutive of Dorothy used since early 19th century. Sometimes also short for Theodora or Isidora. The correct English form is Dora, spelled D-O-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A female given name from Ancient Greek.

Etymology

A diminutive of Dorothy used since early 19th century. Sometimes also short for Theodora or Isidora.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddora,doar,dorra,droa,odra

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddora1doar2dorra1droa2odra2
Edit distance from "Dora"

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 "Dora"?
"Dora" is spelled D-O-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdoɹ.ə/.
What does "Dora" mean?
As a proper noun, "Dora" means: A female given name from Ancient Greek.
What words are commonly confused with "Dora"?
"Dora" is commonly confused with "Dr", "dry", "dot". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Dora"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Dora" is /ˈdoɹ.ə/. 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 "Dora"?
A diminutive of Dorothy used since early 19th century. Sometimes also short for Theodora or Isidora. 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 “Dora”

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

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