dragonfly

/ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/

//ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ// noun

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

"dragonfly" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dragonfly” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,816. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,816
frequency rank, English
26,416
“D” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An insect of the suborder Epiprocta or, more strictly, the infraorder Anisoptera, having four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body when perched.

Key facts for dragonfly
PropertyValue
Headworddragonfly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#27,816
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dragonfly” 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). dragonfly 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 15 spelling variants around dragonfly (IPA /ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,816 among 26,416 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An insect of the suborder Epiprocta or, more strictly, the infraorder Anisoptera, having four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body when perched.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for dragonfly, with forms such as "dargonfly", "ddragonfly", and "draggonfly". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dragon + fly. Compare drakefly (“mayfly”). The correct English form is dragonfly, spelled D-R-A-G-O-N-F-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An insect of the suborder Epiprocta or, more strictly, the infraorder Anisoptera, having four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body when perched.

Etymology

From dragon + fly. Compare drakefly (“mayfly”).

Synonyms

adderboltbattimamselledarnerdarning needledevil's darning needledevil's needledining needleear sewerhorse-stingermosquito flymosquito hawkneedleskeeter hawksnake doctorsnake feederspindlewitch doctor

This word in other languages

libélula(Español)libellule(Français)Libelle(Deutsch)libélula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dargonfly
  • ddragonfly
  • draggonfly
  • dragnofly
  • dragofnly
  • dragonffly
  • dragonflly
  • dragonflyy
  • dragonfyl
  • dragonlfy
  • dragonnfly
  • draognfly
  • drgaonfly
  • drragonfly
  • rdagonfly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dargonfly2ddragonfly1draggonfly1dragnofly2dragofnly2dragonffly1dragonflly1dragonflyy1
Edit distance from "dragonfly"

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 "dragonfly"?
"dragonfly" is spelled D-R-A-G-O-N-F-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/.
What does "dragonfly" mean?
As a noun, "dragonfly" means: An insect of the suborder Epiprocta or, more strictly, the infraorder Anisoptera, having four long transparent wings held perpendicular to a long body when perched.
What are common misspellings of "dragonfly"?
Common misspellings include "dargonfly", "ddragonfly", "draggonfly", "dragnofly", "dragofnly". The correct spelling is "dragonfly".
How do you pronounce "dragonfly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dragonfly" is /ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/. 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 "dragonfly"?
From dragon + fly. Compare drakefly (“mayfly”). 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 “dragonfly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-R-A-G-O-N-F-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɹæɡənˌflaɪ/ (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

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