dormitory

/ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/

//ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi// noun

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

"dormitory" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dormitory” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,732. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,732
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of this kind.

Key facts for dormitory
PropertyValue
Headworddormitory
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#24,732
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dormitory” 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). dormitory lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around dormitory (IPA /ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,732 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for dormitory, with forms such as "ddormitory", "domritory", and "dorimtory". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dormitory, dormytory, dormytorye, borrowed from Latin dormītōrium (“a sleeping-room”), from dormiō (“to sleep”). Doublet of dormitorium and dorter. The correct English form is dormitory, spelled D-O-R-M-I-T-O-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of this kind.
  2. 2
    A building or part of a building which houses students, soldiers, monks etc. who sleep there and use communal further facilities.
  3. 3
    A dormitory town.

Etymology

From Middle English dormitory, dormytory, dormytorye, borrowed from Latin dormītōrium (“a sleeping-room”), from dormiō (“to sleep”). Doublet of dormitorium and dorter.

Synonyms

dormdormitoriumdorter

This word in other languages

dormitorio(Español)dortoir(Français)Schlafsaal(Deutsch)dormitório(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddormitory
  • domritory
  • dorimtory
  • dormiotry
  • dormitorry
  • dormitoryy
  • dormitoyr
  • dormitroy
  • dormittory
  • dormmitory
  • dormtiory
  • dorrmitory
  • dromitory
  • odrmitory

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddormitory1domritory2dorimtory2dormiotry2dormitorry1dormitoryy1dormitoyr2dormitroy2
Edit distance from "dormitory"

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 "dormitory"?
"dormitory" is spelled D-O-R-M-I-T-O-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/.
What does "dormitory" mean?
As a noun, "dormitory" means: A room containing a number of beds (and often some other furniture and/or utilities) for sleeping, often applied to student and backpacker accommodation of this kind.
What are common misspellings of "dormitory"?
Common misspellings include "ddormitory", "domritory", "dorimtory", "dormiotry", "dormitorry". The correct spelling is "dormitory".
How do you pronounce "dormitory"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dormitory" is /ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/. 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 "dormitory"?
From Middle English dormitory, dormytory, dormytorye, borrowed from Latin dormītōrium (“a sleeping-room”), from dormiō (“to sleep”). Doublet of dormitorium and dorter. 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 “dormitory”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-R-M-I-T-O-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɔː.mɪ.tɹi/ (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

Same frequency band

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