doughnut

/ˈdəʊnʌt/

//ˈdəʊnʌt// noun

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

"doughnut" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“doughnut” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,249. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,249
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A deep-fried piece of dough or batter, usually mixed with various sweeteners and flavors, often made in a toroidal or ellipsoidal shape flattened sphere shape filled with jelly/jam, custard, or cream.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

doughnut vs donut
63% similar

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

Key facts for doughnut
PropertyValue
Headworddoughnut
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdəʊnʌt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,249
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doughnut” 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). doughnut 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 12 spelling variants around doughnut (IPA /ˈdəʊnʌt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,249 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for doughnut, with forms such as "ddoughnut", "doguhnut", and "dougghnut". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "donut", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dough + nut, 1809 because originally small, nut-sized balls of fried dough, or, more likely, from nut in the earlier sense of "small rounded cake or cookie", with the toroidal shape becoming common in the twentieth century. First attested in Knickerboc… The correct English form is doughnut, spelled D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A deep-fried piece of dough or batter, usually mixed with various sweeteners and flavors, often made in a toroidal or ellipsoidal shape flattened sphere shape filled with jelly/jam, custard, or cream.
  2. 2
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  3. 3
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  4. 4
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  5. 5
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  6. 6
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  7. 7
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  8. 8
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  9. 9
    Any object in the shape of a torus.
  10. 10
    A foolish or stupid person; an idiot.
  11. 11
    A toroidal cushion typically used by hemorrhoid patients.
  12. 12
    A whole note.

Etymology

From dough + nut, 1809 because originally small, nut-sized balls of fried dough, or, more likely, from nut in the earlier sense of "small rounded cake or cookie", with the toroidal shape becoming common in the twentieth century. First attested in Knickerbocker’s History of New York, by Washington Irving, 1809.

This word in other languages

dona(Español)beignet(Français)Donut(Deutsch)dónute(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddoughnut,doguhnut,dougghnut,doughhnut,doughnnut,doughntu,doughnutt,doughunt,dougnhut,douhgnut,duoghnut,odughnut

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of doughnut - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ddoughnut1doguhnut2dougghnut1doughhnut1doughnnut1doughntu2doughnutt1doughunt2
Edit distance from "doughnut"

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 "doughnut"?
"doughnut" is spelled D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdəʊnʌt/.
What does "doughnut" mean?
As a noun, "doughnut" means: A deep-fried piece of dough or batter, usually mixed with various sweeteners and flavors, often made in a toroidal or ellipsoidal shape flattened sphere shape filled with jelly/jam, custard, or cream.
What words are commonly confused with "doughnut"?
"doughnut" is commonly confused with "donut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "doughnut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "doughnut" is /ˈdəʊnʌt/. 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 "doughnut"?
From dough + nut, 1809 because originally small, nut-sized balls of fried dough, or, more likely, from nut in the earlier sense of "small rounded cake or cookie", with the toroidal shape becoming common in the twentieth century. First attested in ... 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 “doughnut”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-U-G-H-N-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdəʊnʌt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “donut” - see the side-by-side comparison. doughnut vs donut
  • 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list