# dowry

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈdaʊəɹi/ · frequency rank #24,430

## Definitions
1. Payment, such as property or money, paid by the bride's family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage.
2. Payment by the groom or his family to the bride's family.
3. Inheritance from a deceased husband to his widow.
4. A natural gift or talent.
5. A large amount.

## Etymology
From Middle English dowarye, dowerie, from Anglo-Norman dowarie, douarie, from Old French douaire, from Medieval Latin dōtārium, from Latin dōs. Doublet of dower.

## Easily confused with
- **dry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dowry-vs-dry)
- **drury** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dowry-vs-drury)
- **drowsy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dowry-vs-drowsy)
- **dow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dow-vs-dowry)
- **dor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dor-vs-dowry)
- **down** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/down-vs-dowry)
- **door** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/door-vs-dowry)
- **dorm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dorm-vs-dowry)
- **Dora** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dora-vs-dowry)
- **dork** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dork-vs-dowry)
- **dory** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dory-vs-dowry)
- **dowd** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dowd-vs-dowry)
- **doer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/doer-vs-dowry)
- **dewy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dewy-vs-dowry)
- **Dore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dore-vs-dowry)
- **dour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dour-vs-dowry)
- **doors** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/doors-vs-dowry)
- **dairy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dairy-vs-dowry)
- **diary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/diary-vs-dowry)
- **downs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/downs-vs-dowry)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ddowry`, `dorwy`, `dowrry`, `dowryy`, `dowwry`, `dowyr`, `dwory`, `odwry`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/dowry