drizzle

/ˈdɹɪz.l/

//ˈdɹɪz.l// verb

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

"drizzle" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“drizzle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,814 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#23,814
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To rain lightly.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

drizzle vs dazzle
71% similar
drizzle vs dribble
71% similar

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

Key facts for drizzle
PropertyValue
Headworddrizzle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdɹɪz.l/
Letters7
Frequency rank#23,814
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “drizzle” 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). drizzle 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 drizzle is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɹɪz.l/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,814 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 drizzle, with forms such as "ddrizzle", "dirzzle", and "drizle". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "dazzle", "dribble", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern English droze an… The correct English form is drizzle, spelled D-R-I-Z-Z-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To rain lightly.
  2. 2
    To shed slowly in minute drops or particles.
  3. 3
    To pour slowly and evenly, especially oil or honey in cooking.
  4. 4
    To cover by pouring in this manner.
  5. 5
    To urinate.
  6. 6
    To carry out parfilage, the process of unravelling.

Etymology

Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern English droze and drowse. Compare also dialectal Swedish drösla.

This word in other languages

lloviznar(Español)bruiner(Français)nieseln(Deutsch)chuviscar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddrizzle,dirzzle,drizle,drizlze,drizzel,drizzlle,drrizzle,drzizle,rdizzle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddrizzle1dirzzle2drizle1drizlze2drizzel2drizzlle1drrizzle1drzizle2
Edit distance from "drizzle"

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 "drizzle"?
"drizzle" is spelled D-R-I-Z-Z-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹɪz.l/.
What does "drizzle" mean?
As a verb, "drizzle" means: To rain lightly.
What words are commonly confused with "drizzle"?
"drizzle" is commonly confused with "dazzle", "dribble". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "drizzle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drizzle" is /ˈdɹɪz.l/. 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 "drizzle"?
Perhaps a back-formation from dryseling, a dissimilated variant of Middle English drysning (“a falling of dew”), from Old English drysnan (“to extinguish”), related to Old English drēosan (“to fall, to decline”), making it cognate to modern Englis... 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 “drizzle”

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

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