double

/ˈdʌb.əl/

//ˈdʌb.əl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“double” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,049. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,049
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Made up of two matching or complementary elements.

Corpus desk

Index EN-double · double · English

double · rank #1,049 · 8 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,049
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH difference

Nearest frequency peer: difference (-1 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 “double”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “double” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

double vs doubt
67% similar
double vs Doyle
50% similar
double vs douse
67% similar

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

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

Where “double” 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).double lands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around double (IPA /ˈdʌb.əl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #1,049 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for double, with forms such as "ddouble", "dobule", and "doubble". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "doubt", "Doyle", "douse", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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. The correct English form is double, spelled D-O-U-B-L-E.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The closet has double doors.
  2. “[…] it is not fair of you to bring against mankind double weapons ! Such is not the usage of civilized warfare. Dangerous enough you are as woman alone, without bringing to your aid those gifts of mind suited to problems which men have been accustomed to arrogate to themselves.”

Etymology

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

Synonyms

binarytwindualduplicatetwofoldtwofold

Antonyms

halfhalf

This word in other languages

doble(Español)double(Français)doppelt(Deutsch)duplo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddouble
  • dobule
  • doubble
  • doubel
  • doublle
  • doulbe
  • duoble
  • oduble

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddouble1dobule2doubble1doubel2doublle1doulbe2duoble2oduble2
Edit distance from "double"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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 adjective, "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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "double", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

expect#1,050island#1,052normal#1,054weight#1,036

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

brown8 variantsplans8 variantsRussian8 variantstrack8 variants

What to do next

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

  • "double" maps to 16 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "doubt". View pair
  • 8 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,049 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