doxorubicin

/ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/

//ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn// noun

"doxorubicin" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“doxorubicin” is an uncommon English word, ranked #80,399 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#80,399
frequency rank, English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An anthracycline antibiotic drug (trademark Adriamycin) with broad antineoplastic activity that is obtained from a bacterium (Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius) and is administered in the form ...

Key facts for doxorubicin
PropertyValue
Headworddoxorubicin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/
Letters11
Frequency rank#80,399
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “doxorubicin” 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). doxorubicin lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for doxorubicin is 11 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #80,399 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "An anthracycline antibiotic drug (trademark Adriamycin) with broad antineoplastic activity that is obtained from a bacterium (Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius) and is administered in the form ...".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for doxorubicin, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From d(e)ox(y)- + -o- + -rubicin (“daunorubicin derivative”). The correct English form is doxorubicin, spelled D-O-X-O-R-U-B-I-C-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An anthracycline antibiotic drug (trademark Adriamycin) with broad antineoplastic activity that is obtained from a bacterium (Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius) and is administered in the form of its hydrochloride C₂₇H₂₉NO₁₁·HCl in chemotherapy.

Etymology

From d(e)ox(y)- + -o- + -rubicin (“daunorubicin derivative”).

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 "doxorubicin"?
"doxorubicin" is spelled D-O-X-O-R-U-B-I-C-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/.
What does "doxorubicin" mean?
As a noun, "doxorubicin" means: An anthracycline antibiotic drug (trademark Adriamycin) with broad antineoplastic activity that is obtained from a bacterium (Streptomyces peucetius subsp. caesius) and is administered in the form ...
How do you pronounce "doxorubicin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "doxorubicin" is /ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/. 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 "doxorubicin"?
From d(e)ox(y)- + -o- + -rubicin (“daunorubicin derivative”). 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 “doxorubicin”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-O-X-O-R-U-B-I-C-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌdɒk.səʊˈɹuː.bɪs.ɪn/ (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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list