duty

/ˈdjuː.ti/

//ˈdjuː.ti// noun

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

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

The verdict

“duty” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,994. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,994
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.

Corpus desk

Index EN-duty · duty · English

duty · rank #1,994 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,994
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH drinking

Nearest frequency peer: drinking (-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 “duty”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “duty” 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).

duty vs dy
50% similar
duty vs DT
0% similar
duty vs day
50% similar

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

Key facts for duty
PropertyValue
Headwordduty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdjuː.ti/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,994
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “duty” sits in English frequency

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).duty lands here:

#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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around duty (IPA /ˈdjuː.ti/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,994 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for duty, with forms such as "dduty", "dtuy", and "dutty". 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, "dy", "DT", "day", 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 duete, from Middle English dewe + Middle English -te. Equivalent to due + -ty. The correct English form is duty, spelled D-U-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
  2. 2
    The state of being at work and responsible for or doing a particular task.
  3. 3
    A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff.
  4. 4
    One's due, something one is owed; a debt or fee.
  5. 5
    Respect; reverence; regard; act of respect; homage.
  6. 6
    The efficiency of an engine in work done per unit of fuel; particularly, the number of pounds of water which a steam pumping engine can raise one foot by burning one bushel or hundredweight of coal.
  7. 7
    The act of urination or defecation, especially for a dog.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Do your duty by me! -No, we don't have a duty to keep you abreast.
  2. 1805, 21 October, Horatio Nelson England expects that every man will do his duty.

Etymology

From Middle English duete, from Middle English dewe + Middle English -te. Equivalent to due + -ty.

Synonyms

obligation

Antonyms

duty-freeright

This word in other languages

deber(Español)devoir(Français)Pflicht(Deutsch)dever(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • dduty
  • dtuy
  • dutty
  • dutyy
  • duyt
  • udty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

dduty1dtuy2dutty1dutyy1duyt2udty2
Edit distance from "duty"

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 "duty"?
"duty" is spelled D-U-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdjuː.ti/.
What does "duty" mean?
As a noun, "duty" means: That which one is morally or legally obligated to do.
What words are commonly confused with "duty"?
"duty" is commonly confused with "dy", "DT", "day". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "duty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "duty" is /ˈdjuː.ti/. 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 "duty"?
From Middle English duete, from Middle English dewe + Middle English -te. Equivalent to due + -ty. 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 "duty", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

boat#1,986bear#1,985path#2,006zone#1,978

Similar misspelling depth

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

tired6 variantswarm6 variantscrew6 variantsdick6 variants

What to do next

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

  • "duty" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "dy". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,994 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