duke

/dʒuːk/

//dʒuːk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“duke” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,293. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,293
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).

Corpus desk

Index EN-duke · duke · English

duke · rank #3,293 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,293
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH discussed

Nearest frequency peer: discussed (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “duke”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “duke” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

duke vs duo
50% similar
duke vs dye
50% similar
duke vs dun
50% similar

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

Key facts for duke
PropertyValue
Headwordduke
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dʒuːk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,293
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “duke” 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). duke lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around duke (IPA /dʒuːk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,293 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for duke, with forms such as "dduke", "dkue", and "duek". 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, "duo", "dye", "dun", 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 Old French duc, through Middle English duk, duke, from Latin dux, ducis. Displaced native Old English heretoga. Was present as duc in late Old English, from the same Latin source. Doublet of doge, duc, duce, and dux. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European… The correct English form is duke, spelled D-U-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
  2. 2
    The sovereign of a small state.
  3. 3
    A high title of nobility; the male holder of a dukedom.
  4. 4
    A grand duke.
  5. 5
    Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the Asian genera Bassarona and Dophla.
  6. 6
    A fist.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Put up your dukes!
  2. “Your friend sure knows how to use his dukes. Biff, bang! One, two, and the copʼs on his ass!”

Etymology

From Old French duc, through Middle English duk, duke, from Latin dux, ducis. Displaced native Old English heretoga. Was present as duc in late Old English, from the same Latin source. Doublet of doge, duc, duce, and dux. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-, which is also the source of the second component in German Herzog. The “fist” sense is thought to be Cockney rhyming slang where “Duke(s) of York” = fork. Fork is itself Cockney slang for hand, and thus fist.

This word in other languages

duque(Español)duc(Français)Herzog(Deutsch)duque(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dduke
  • dkue
  • duek
  • dukke
  • udke

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of duke - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

dduke1dkue2duek2dukke1udke2
Edit distance from "duke"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "duke"?
"duke" is spelled D-U-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /dʒuːk/.
What does "duke" mean?
As a noun, "duke" means: The male ruler of a duchy (female equivalent: duchess).
What words are commonly confused with "duke"?
"duke" is commonly confused with "duo", "dye", "dun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "duke"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "duke" is /dʒuːk/. 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 "duke"?
From Old French duc, through Middle English duk, duke, from Latin dux, ducis. Displaced native Old English heretoga. Was present as duc in late Old English, from the same Latin source. Doublet of doge, duc, duce, and dux. Ultimately from Proto-Ind... 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 "duke", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fort#3,302gray#3,304bars#3,280Jeff#3,310

Similar misspelling depth

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

angel5 variantsLuke5 variantsacid5 variantsRome5 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "duke". Here's where to go from here.

  • "duke" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "duo". View pair
  • 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,293 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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