dusty

/ˈdʌsti/

//ˈdʌsti// adj

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

"dusty" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dusty” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,690 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#11,690
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Covered with dust.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dusty vs duty
80% similar
dusty vs dust
80% similar
dusty vs duct
60% similar

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

Key facts for dusty
PropertyValue
Headworddusty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdʌsti/
Letters5
Frequency rank#11,690
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dusty” 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). dusty 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 dusty is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdʌsti/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,690 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for dusty, with forms such as "ddusty", "dsuty", and "dussty". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "duty", "dust", "duct", 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 Middle English dusty, dusti, from Old English dūstiġ, dystiġ, dȳstiġ (“dusty”), equivalent to dust + -y. Cognate with Dutch donzig (“cottony, downy, woolly”), German dunstig (“hazy, misty”). The correct English form is dusty, spelled D-U-S-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Covered with dust.
  2. 2
    Powdery and resembling dust.
  3. 3
    Grey or greyish.
  4. 4
    Old; outdated; stuffily traditional.
  5. 5
    Ugly, disgusting (a general term of abuse).
  6. 6
    Ugly, unwell, inadequate, bad.

Etymology

From Middle English dusty, dusti, from Old English dūstiġ, dystiġ, dȳstiġ (“dusty”), equivalent to dust + -y. Cognate with Dutch donzig (“cottony, downy, woolly”), German dunstig (“hazy, misty”).

Synonyms

dust-ridden

This word in other languages

polvoriento(Español)poussiéreux(Français)staubig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddusty,dsuty,dussty,dustty,dustyy,dusyt,dutsy,udsty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dusty - 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.

ddusty1dsuty2dussty1dustty1dustyy1dusyt2dutsy2udsty2
Edit distance from "dusty"

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 "dusty"?
"dusty" is spelled D-U-S-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʌsti/.
What does "dusty" mean?
As an adjective, "dusty" means: Covered with dust.
What words are commonly confused with "dusty"?
"dusty" is commonly confused with "duty", "dust", "duct". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dusty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dusty" is /ˈdʌsti/. 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 "dusty"?
From Middle English dusty, dusti, from Old English dūstiġ, dystiġ, dȳstiġ (“dusty”), equivalent to dust + -y. Cognate with Dutch donzig (“cottony, downy, woolly”), German dunstig (“hazy, misty”). 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 “dusty”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-S-T-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdʌsti/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “duty” - see the side-by-side comparison. dusty vs duty
  • 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