dotard
/ˈdəʊ.təd/
"dotard" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“dotard” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An old person with impaired intellect; a senile person; one in their dotage.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | dotard |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈdəʊ.təd/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “dotard” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for dotard is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdəʊ.təd/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
dotard has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dotard; equivalent to dote + -ard. The correct English form is dotard, spelled D-O-T-A-R-D.
Definition
- 1An old person with impaired intellect; a senile person; one in their dotage.
- 2One who dotes on another, showing excessive fondness; a doter.
Etymology
From Middle English dotard; equivalent to dote + -ard.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “dotard”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is D-O-T-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈdəʊ.təd/ (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.