drum

/ˈdɹʌm/

//ˈdɹʌm// noun

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

"drum" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“drum” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,958. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,958
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.

Corpus desk

Index EN-drum · drum · English

drum · rank #5,958 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,958
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH divisions

Nearest frequency peer: divisions (-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 “drum”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “drum” 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).

drum vs due
50% similar
drum vs dry
50% similar
drum vs duo
50% similar

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

Key facts for drum
PropertyValue
Headworddrum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɹʌm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#5,958
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “drum”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).drumlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “divisions” (#5,957), “editorial” (#5,959), “diplomatic” (#5,956). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “drum” is #5,958. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around drum (IPA /ˈdɹʌm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,958 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for drum, with forms such as "ddrum", "drmu", and "drrum". 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, "due", "dry", "duo", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Perhaps back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag). Or perhaps borrowed directly from a continental Germanic language; compare Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”), Mid… The correct English form is drum, spelled D-R-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
  2. 2
    Any similar hollow, cylindrical object.
  3. 3
    A barrel or large cylindrical container for liquid transport and storage.
  4. 4
    Synonym of construction barrel.
  5. 5
    The encircling wall that supports a dome or cupola.
  6. 6
    Any of the cylindrical blocks that make up the shaft of a pillar.
  7. 7
    A drumfish (family Sciaenidae).
  8. 8
    A tip; a piece of information.
  9. 9
    The ear.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He's playing the piano and she's playing the drums!
  2. In the Province of Xenſi, near the City Vucung, is a Hill called Taipe, which if a Drum be beaten upon it, preſently followeth Thunder, Lightning, and ſtormy weather, inſomuch that the Magiſtrates have forbidden all perſons upon pain of death to beat any Drum there.

Etymology

Perhaps back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag). Or perhaps borrowed directly from a continental Germanic language; compare Middle Dutch tromme (“drum”), Middle Low German trumme (“drum”) et al. Compare also Middle High German trumme, trumbe (“drum”), Old High German trumba (“trumpet”).

This word in other languages

tambor(Español)tambour(Français)Trommel(Deutsch)tambor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ddrum
  • drmu
  • drrum
  • drumm
  • durm
  • rdum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ddrum1drmu2drrum1drumm1durm2rdum2
Edit distance from "drum"

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 "drum"?
"drum" is spelled D-R-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɹʌm/.
What does "drum" mean?
As a noun, "drum" means: A percussive musical instrument spanned with a thin covering on at least one end for striking, forming an acoustic chamber; a membranophone.
What words are commonly confused with "drum"?
"drum" is commonly confused with "due", "dry", "duo". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "drum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "drum" is /ˈdɹʌm/. 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 "drum"?
Perhaps back-formation from drumslade (“drummer”), from Middle Dutch trommelslach (“drumbeat”), from trommel (“drum”) + slach (“beat”) (Dutch slag). Or perhaps borrowed directly from a continental Germanic language; compare Middle Dutch tromme (“d... 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 "drum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

cups#5,952grip#5,968babe#5,938mild#5,982

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

canon6 variantspairs6 variantssilk6 variantsJulia6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list