Dorcas

/ˈdɔːkəs/

//ˈdɔːkəs// name

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

"dorcas" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Dorcas” is uncommon English (frequency #57,983 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,983
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A woman who is said, in the Bible, to have been restored to life by Peter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dorcas · Dorcas · English

Dorcas · rank #57,983 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,983
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH Doane

Nearest frequency peer: Doane (-2 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Dorcas”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Dorcas” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Dorcas
PropertyValue
HeadwordDorcas
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈdɔːkəs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#57,983
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Dorcas” 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).Dorcaslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Doane” (#57,981), “dower” (#57,986), “divisor” (#57,979). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Dorcas is uncommon English at frequency #57,983 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈdɔːkəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Dorcas, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Ancient Greek δορκάς (dorkás, “gazelle”), translation of Tabitha in the Bible. The correct English form is Dorcas, spelled D-O-R-C-A-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A woman who is said, in the Bible, to have been restored to life by Peter.
  2. 2
    A female given name from Ancient Greek of biblical origin.
  3. 3
    Used attributively of a ladies' association within the church in order to make and distribute clothes for the poor.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas; this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
  2. She established a Dorcas society at Baslehurst, of which she became permanent president, and spent her money in carrying on this institution in the manner most pleasing to herself.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek δορκάς (dorkás, “gazelle”), translation of Tabitha in the Bible.

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 "Dorcas"?
"Dorcas" is spelled D-O-R-C-A-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɔːkəs/.
What does "Dorcas" mean?
As a proper noun, "Dorcas" means: A woman who is said, in the Bible, to have been restored to life by Peter.
How do you pronounce "Dorcas"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Dorcas" is /ˈdɔːkəs/. 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 "Dorcas"?
From Ancient Greek δορκάς (dorkás, “gazelle”), translation of Tabitha in the Bible. 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 "Dorcas", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ebbing#57,994Encino#58,001corvus#57,958chided#57,937

What to do next

You've looked up "Dorcas". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #57,983 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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