duopoly

/djuːˈɒpəli/

//djuːˈɒpəli// noun

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

The verdict

“duopoly” is an uncommon English word, ranked #56,718 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#56,718
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An economic condition in which two sellers exert most control over the market of a commodity.

Key facts for duopoly
PropertyValue
Headwordduopoly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/djuːˈɒpəli/
Letters7
Frequency rank#56,718
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “duopoly” 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). duopoly 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 duopoly is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /djuːˈɒpəli/. Corpus data places it at rank #56,718 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for duopoly in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *dwóh₁ From duo- (prefix meaning ‘two’) + -poly (suffix meaning ‘pertaining to the number of sellers in a market’), by analogy with monopoly. The correct English form is duopoly, spelled D-U-O-P-O-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    An economic condition in which two sellers exert most control over the market of a commodity.
  2. 2
    The domination of a field of endeavour by two entities or people.
  3. 3
    A situation in which two or more radio or television stations in the same city or community share common ownership.

Etymology

PIE word *dwóh₁ From duo- (prefix meaning ‘two’) + -poly (suffix meaning ‘pertaining to the number of sellers in a market’), by analogy with monopoly.

This word in other languages

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 "duopoly"?
"duopoly" is spelled D-U-O-P-O-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /djuːˈɒpəli/.
What does "duopoly" mean?
As a noun, "duopoly" means: An economic condition in which two sellers exert most control over the market of a commodity.
How do you pronounce "duopoly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "duopoly" is /djuːˈɒpəli/. 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 "duopoly"?
PIE word *dwóh₁ From duo- (prefix meaning ‘two’) + -poly (suffix meaning ‘pertaining to the number of sellers in a market’), by analogy with monopoly. 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 “duopoly”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-O-P-O-L-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /djuːˈɒpəli/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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