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double

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

6 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "double", 6-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "double" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "double" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

double is anEnglishadj. It means: Made up of two matching or complementary elements. Pronounced /ˈdʌb.əl/. It ranks #1,049 in English word frequency. Often confused with doubt and Doyle.

Key facts for double
PropertyValue
Headworddouble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdj
IPA/ˈdʌb.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,049
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of double in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for double is 6 letters long, classified as anadj, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdʌb.əl/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,049 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 8 documented wrong-spelling variants for double, with forms such as "ddouble", "dobule", and "doubble". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "doubt", "Doyle", "douse", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English double, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus (“twofold”). Doublet of doppio and duple. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is double, spelled D-O-U-B-L-E, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    Made up of two matching or complementary elements.
  2. 2
    Of twice the quantity.
  3. 3
    Of a family relationship, related on both the maternal and paternal sides of a family.
  4. 4
    Designed for two (people, cars, etc.).
  5. 5
    Folded in two; composed of two layers.
  6. 6
    Stooping; bent over.
  7. 7
    Having two aspects; ambiguous.
  8. 8
    False, deceitful, or hypocritical.
  9. 9
    Of flowers, having more than the normal number of petals.
  10. 10
    Of an instrument, sounding an octave lower.
  11. 11
    Of time, twice as fast.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English double, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus (“twofold”). Doublet of doppio and duple.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddouble,dobule,doubble,doubel,doublle,doulbe,duoble,oduble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for double

Misspelling Variants of "double"

ddouble7dobule6doubble7doubel6doublle7doulbe6duoble6oduble6
Misspelling Variants of "double"

Frequency rank: #1,049 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "double"?
"double" is spelled D-O-U-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʌb.əl/.
What does "double" mean?
As an adj, "double" means: Made up of two matching or complementary elements.
What words are commonly confused with "double"?
"double" is commonly confused with "doubt", "Doyle", "douse". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "double"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "double" is /ˈdʌb.əl/. 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 "double"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From Middle English double, from Old French doble, double, from Latin duplus (“twofold”). Doublet of doppio and duple. 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter D in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.