duffer

/ˈdʌfɚ/

//ˈdʌfɚ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“duffer” is uncommon English (frequency #82,247 among 3,470 “D” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,247
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - comparative form of duff: more duff

Corpus desk

Index EN-duffer · duffer · English

duffer · rank #82,247 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #82,247
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH DTR

Nearest frequency peer: DTR (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “duffer”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “duffer” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for duffer
PropertyValue
Headwordduffer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdʌfɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#82,247
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “duffer” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).dufferfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “DTR” (#82,246), “dulcimer” (#82,248), “dryad” (#82,245). Among 3,470 “D” headwords, “duffer” is #82,247. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

duffer is uncommon English at frequency #82,247 among 3,470 “D” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈdʌfɚ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "comparative form of duff: more duff".

Zero misspellings are on record for duffer in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Cognate with duff, which see (origin is uncertain). The correct English form is duffer, spelled D-U-F-F-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    comparative form of duff: more duff

Etymology

Cognate with duff, which see (origin is uncertain).

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 "duffer"?
"duffer" is spelled D-U-F-F-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʌfɚ/.
What does "duffer" mean?
As an adjective, "duffer" means: comparative form of duff: more duff
How do you pronounce "duffer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "duffer" is /ˈdʌfɚ/. 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 "duffer"?
Cognate with duff, which see (origin is uncertain). 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 "duffer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

drippy#82,244Daoist#82,211Cyrene#82,207cumbia#82,205

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list