dragon

/ˈdɹæɡən/

//ˈdɹæɡən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dragon” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,555 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,555
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A legendary serpentine or reptilian creature.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dragon vs drawn
67% similar
dragon vs drain
67% similar
dragon vs drags
67% similar

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

Key facts for dragon
PropertyValue
Headworddragon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹæɡən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,555
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dragon” 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). dragon 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 dragon is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɹæɡən/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,555 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dragon, with forms such as "dargon", "ddragon", and "draggon". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "drawn", "drain", "drags", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dragoun, borrowed from Old French dragon, from Latin dracō(n), from Ancient Greek δράκων (drákōn, “a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon”), probably from δέρκομαι (dérkomai, “to see clearly”). Mostly displaced Old English draca (whe… The correct English form is dragon, spelled D-R-A-G-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A legendary serpentine or reptilian creature.
  2. 2
    A legendary serpentine or reptilian creature.
  3. 3
    An animal of various species that resemble a dragon in appearance:
  4. 4
    An animal of various species that resemble a dragon in appearance:
  5. 5
    An animal of various species that resemble a dragon in appearance:
  6. 6
    An animal of various species that resemble a dragon in appearance:
  7. 7
    The constellation Draco.
  8. 8
    A fierce and unpleasant woman.
  9. 9
    An unattractive woman.
  10. 10
    The (historical) Chinese empire or the People's Republic of China.
  11. 11
    Something very formidable or dangerous.
  12. 12
    A class of playing tiles consisting of three types: white dragons, green dragons, and red dragons.
  13. 13
    A luminous exhalation from marshy ground, seeming to move through the air like a winged serpent.
  14. 14
    A type of musket with a short, large-calibre barrel with a flared muzzle, often hooked to a swivel attached to a soldier's belt.
  15. 15
    A background process similar to a daemon.
  16. 16
    A variety of carrier pigeon.

Etymology

From Middle English dragoun, borrowed from Old French dragon, from Latin dracō(n), from Ancient Greek δράκων (drákōn, “a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon”), probably from δέρκομαι (dérkomai, “to see clearly”). Mostly displaced Old English draca (whence modern drake)—from the same Latin source, as are Draco, dracone, and dragoon.

This word in other languages

dragón(Español)dragon(Français)Drache(Deutsch)dragão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: dargon,ddragon,draggon,dragno,dragonn,draogn,drgaon,drragon,rdagon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dargon2ddragon1draggon1dragno2dragonn1draogn2drgaon2drragon1
Edit distance from "dragon"

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 "dragon"?
"dragon" is spelled D-R-A-G-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹæɡən/.
What does "dragon" mean?
As a noun, "dragon" means: A legendary serpentine or reptilian creature.
What words are commonly confused with "dragon"?
"dragon" is commonly confused with "drawn", "drain", "drags". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dragon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dragon" is /ˈdɹæɡən/. 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 "dragon"?
From Middle English dragoun, borrowed from Old French dragon, from Latin dracō(n), from Ancient Greek δράκων (drákōn, “a serpent of huge size, a python, a dragon”), probably from δέρκομαι (dérkomai, “to see clearly”). Mostly displaced Old English ... 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 “dragon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-R-A-G-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɹæɡən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “drawn” - see the side-by-side comparison. dragon vs drawn
  • 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