dreadlocks

/ˈdɹɛdlɒks/

//ˈdɹɛdlɒks// noun

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

"dreadlocks" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dreadlocks” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,898. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,898
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dreadlocks · dreadlocks · English

dreadlocks · rank #45,898 · 16 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #45,898
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 16 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH drawdown

Nearest frequency peer: drawdown (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “dreadlocks”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “dreadlocks” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dreadlocks vs deadlock
80% similar

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

Key facts for dreadlocks
PropertyValue
Headworddreadlocks
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹɛdlɒks/
Letters10
Frequency rank#45,898
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dreadlocks”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dreadlockslands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “drawdown” (#45,897), “dreadnought” (#45,899), “drapery” (#45,896). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dreadlocks” is #45,898. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 16 spelling variants around dreadlocks (IPA /ˈdɹɛdlɒks/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,898 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for dreadlocks, with forms such as "ddreadlocks", "deradlocks", and "draedlocks". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "deadlock", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Jamaican Creole dreadlocks, from dread (“of or relating to a dread”, adjective) (from dread (“(usually black) male member of the Rastafarian movement who wears his hair in dreadlocks”, noun), from English dread (“reverential or respectful fear… The correct English form is dreadlocks, spelled D-R-E-A-D-L-O-C-K-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how dreadlocks appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The patient history may point to the use of tight hairstyles that put tension on the hair root or hair treatments that increase the vulnerability to traction-related damage. The physician should evaluate for a history of tight ponytails, buns, chignons, braids, twists, weaves, cornrows, dreadlocks, sisterlocks, and hair wefts in addition to the usage of r…

Etymology

Borrowed from Jamaican Creole dreadlocks, from dread (“of or relating to a dread”, adjective) (from dread (“(usually black) male member of the Rastafarian movement who wears his hair in dreadlocks”, noun), from English dread (“reverential or respectful fear; awe”), referring to the awe inspired by God) + English locks (plural of lock (“length or tuft of hair”)). The English word is analyzable as dread (“Rastafarian”, attributive) + locks.

This word in other languages

dreadlocks(Français)Dreadlocks(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddreadlocks
  • deradlocks
  • draedlocks
  • dreaddlocks
  • dreadlcoks
  • dreadllocks
  • dreadloccks
  • dreadlockks
  • dreadlockss
  • dreadlocsk
  • dreadlokcs
  • dreadolcks
  • drealdocks
  • dredalocks
  • drreadlocks
  • rdeadlocks

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddreadlocks1deradlocks2draedlocks2dreaddlocks1dreadlcoks2dreadllocks1dreadloccks1dreadlockks1
Edit distance from "dreadlocks"

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 "dreadlocks"?
"dreadlocks" is spelled D-R-E-A-D-L-O-C-K-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹɛdlɒks/.
What does "dreadlocks" mean?
As a noun, "dreadlocks" means: A hairstyle worn by Rastafarians and others in which the hair is left to grow long, and twisted into matted strings.
What words are commonly confused with "dreadlocks"?
"dreadlocks" is commonly confused with "deadlock". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dreadlocks"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dreadlocks" is /ˈdɹɛdlɒks/. 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 "dreadlocks"?
Borrowed from Jamaican Creole dreadlocks, from dread (“of or relating to a dread”, adjective) (from dread (“(usually black) male member of the Rastafarian movement who wears his hair in dreadlocks”, noun), from English dread (“reverential or respe... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dreadlocks", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

engendered#45,907disloyalty#45,885escarpment#45,911degeneracy#45,877

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (16 here; floor ≥5).

demoralized16 variantscontrition16 variantsgoldilocks16 variantscentrality16 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list