dropout

noun

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

The verdict

“dropout” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,071 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,071
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who has left an educational institution without completing the course

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dropout vs droplet
71% similar

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

Key facts for dropout
PropertyValue
Headworddropout
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,071
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dropout” 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). dropout 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 dropout is 7 letters long, classified as a noun. Corpus data places it at rank #26,071 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for dropout, with forms such as "ddropout", "dorpout", and "drooput". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "droplet", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from drop out. The correct English form is dropout, spelled D-R-O-P-O-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who has left an educational institution without completing the course
  2. 2
    Someone who has opted out of conventional society.
  3. 3
    One who suddenly leaves anything, or the act of doing so.
  4. 4
    The slot in the frame that accepts the axles of the wheels.
  5. 5
    A damaged portion of a tape or disk, causing a brief omission of audio, video, or data.
  6. 6
    Momentary loss of an electronic signal.
  7. 7
    A technique for regularizing a neural network by discarding a random subset of its units.

Etymology

Deverbal from drop out.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddropout,dorpout,drooput,dropotu,dropoutt,droppout,dropuot,drpoout,drropout,rdopout

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddropout1dorpout2drooput2dropotu2dropoutt1droppout1dropuot2drpoout2
Edit distance from "dropout"

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 "dropout"?
"dropout" is spelled D-R-O-P-O-U-T.
What does "dropout" mean?
As a noun, "dropout" means: Someone who has left an educational institution without completing the course
What words are commonly confused with "dropout"?
"dropout" is commonly confused with "droplet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "dropout"?
Deverbal from drop out. 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 “dropout”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-R-O-P-O-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “droplet” - see the side-by-side comparison. dropout vs droplet
  • 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