go the way of the dodo
/ˈɡəʊ ðə ˌweɪ ə(v)ðə ˈdəʊdəʊ/
"go-the-way-of-the-dodo" is a 17-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“go the way of the dodo” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 22
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To go extinct or become obsolete or defunct; to fall out of common practice or use; to become a thing of the past.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | go the way of the dodo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈɡəʊ ðə ˌweɪ ə(v)ðə ˈdəʊdəʊ/ |
| Letters | 22 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “go the way of the dodo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for go the way of the dodo is 22 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡəʊ ðə ˌweɪ ə(v)ðə ˈdəʊdəʊ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To go extinct or become obsolete or defunct; to fall out of common practice or use; to become a thing of the past.".
No misspelling variants are generated for go the way of the dodo in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, which is believed to have become extinct in the 17th century due to human activity. The correct English form is go the way of the dodo, spelled G-O- -T-H-E- -W-A-Y- -O-F- -T-H-E- -D-O-D-O.
Definition
- 1To go extinct or become obsolete or defunct; to fall out of common practice or use; to become a thing of the past.
Etymology
The dodo (Raphus cucullatus) was a flightless bird endemic to the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius, which is believed to have become extinct in the 17th century due to human activity.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “go the way of the dodo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-O- -T-H-E- -W-A-Y- -O-F- -T-H-E- -D-O-D-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɡəʊ ðə ˌweɪ ə(v)ðə ˈdəʊdəʊ/ (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.