dredge

/dɹɛd͡ʒ/

//dɹɛd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“dredge” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,438. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,438
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any instrument used to gather or take by dragging; as:

Corpus desk

Index EN-dredge · dredge · English

dredge · rank #27,438 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,438
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH draco

Nearest frequency peer: draco (-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 “dredge”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “dredge” 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).

dredge vs dregs
67% similar
dredge vs drudge
83% similar
dredge vs dredged
86% similar

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

Key facts for dredge
PropertyValue
Headworddredge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dɹɛd͡ʒ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#27,438
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “dredge”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).dredgelands 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 “draco” (#27,437), “drool” (#27,439), “dumbledore” (#27,440). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “dredge” is #27,438. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around dredge (IPA /dɹɛd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,438 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for dredge, with forms such as "ddredge", "derdge", and "drdege". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "dregs", "drudge", "dredged", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Scots dreg-boat, dreg-bot (from Old English *dreċġ); or alternatively from Middle Dutch dregghe (“drag-net”), probably ultimately from the same root as drag. The correct English form is dredge, spelled D-R-E-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any instrument used to gather or take by dragging; as:
  2. 2
    Any instrument used to gather or take by dragging; as:
  3. 3
    Any instrument used to gather or take by dragging; as:
  4. 4
    The act of dredging.
  5. 5
    Very fine mineral matter held in suspension in water.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The section includes also combination bucket and suction dredges, true suction dredgers, the Friihling dredge, the reclamation dredge, the longshoot dredge, the hopper barge, the self-propelling hopper, and the rock cutter.
  2. A dredge of the river is not possible at this time due to the strong currents and dangerous riptides which plague the St. Lawrence after the ice melts.

Etymology

From Scots dreg-boat, dreg-bot (from Old English *dreċġ); or alternatively from Middle Dutch dregghe (“drag-net”), probably ultimately from the same root as drag.

This word in other languages

draga(Español)draga(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddredge
  • derdge
  • drdege
  • dreddge
  • dredeg
  • dredgge
  • dregde
  • drredge
  • rdedge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddredge1derdge2drdege2dreddge1dredeg2dredgge1dregde2drredge1
Edit distance from "dredge"

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 "dredge"?
"dredge" is spelled D-R-E-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dɹɛd͡ʒ/.
What does "dredge" mean?
As a noun, "dredge" means: Any instrument used to gather or take by dragging; as:
What words are commonly confused with "dredge"?
"dredge" is commonly confused with "dregs", "drudge", "dredged". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dredge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dredge" is /dɹɛd͡ʒ/. 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 "dredge"?
From Scots dreg-boat, dreg-bot (from Old English *dreċġ); or alternatively from Middle Dutch dregghe (“drag-net”), probably ultimately from the same root as drag. 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 "dredge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

earths#27,441escrow#27,449Curran#27,420covent#27,416

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

evasive9 variantsConnelly9 variantscoinage9 variantsGeorgie9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list