drip

Name: drip, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/dɹɪp/

//dɹɪp// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“drip” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,329 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#13,329
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 6
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To fall one drop at a time.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

drip vs dry

50% similar

drip vs DUI

0% similar

drip vs dup

50% similar

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

Key facts for drip
Property	Value
Headword	drip
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/dɹɪp/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#13,329
Misspellings tracked	6
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “drip” 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). drip lands here:

#13,329

#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 drip is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dɹɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,329 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for drip, with forms such as "ddrip", "dirp", and "dripp". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dry", "DUI", "dup", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English drippen, druppen, from Old English drypan, from Proto-Germanic *drupjaną (“to fall in drops, drip”), from Proto-Germanic *drupô (“drop”). Akin to West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen, druppelen (“to drip”), German Low German dr… The correct English form is drip, spelled D-R-I-P.

Definition

1
To fall one drop at a time.
2
To leak slowly.
3
To let fall in drops.
4
To have a superabundance of (something).
5
To rain lightly; to drizzle.
6
To be wet, to be soaked.
7
To whine or complain consistently; to grumble.
8
Be impressive or attractive.

Etymology

From Middle English drippen, druppen, from Old English drypan, from Proto-Germanic *drupjaną (“to fall in drops, drip”), from Proto-Germanic *drupô (“drop”). Akin to West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen, druppelen (“to drip”), German Low German drüppen (“to drip”), German tropfen, tröpfeln (“to drip”), Norwegian Bokmål dryppe, Norwegian Nynorsk drypa (“to drip”).

This word in other languages

gotear(Español)goutter(Français)tropfen(Deutsch)gotejar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddrip,dirp,dripp,drpi,drrip,rdip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of drip - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "drip"

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 "drip"?

"drip" is spelled D-R-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /dɹɪp/.

What does "drip" mean?

As a verb, "drip" means: To fall one drop at a time.

What words are commonly confused with "drip"?

"drip" is commonly confused with "dry", "DUI", "dup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "drip"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drip" is /dɹɪp/. 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 "drip"?

From Middle English drippen, druppen, from Old English drypan, from Proto-Germanic *drupjaną (“to fall in drops, drip”), from Proto-Germanic *drupô (“drop”). Akin to West Frisian drippe (“to drip”), Dutch druipen, druppelen (“to drip”), German Low... 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 “drip”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-R-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /dɹɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “dry” - see the side-by-side comparison. drip vs dry
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.