idol
/ˈaɪ.dl̩/
"idol" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“idol” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,802. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #7,802
- frequency rank, English
- 2,140
- “I” headwords
- 5
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
Corpus desk
Index EN-idol · idol · English
idol · rank #7,802 · 5 variants · 20 confusables
- FREQ-COMMON #7,802
- LEN-MID 4 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
- VAR-MID 5 variants
- BOOK-MID 2,140
- PHOTO-FINISH hunters
Nearest frequency peer: hunters (-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 “idol”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- gum
gum
92,202 corpus weight
- hobby
hobby
92,201 corpus weight
- hunters
hunters
92,200 corpus weight
- idol
idol
92,199 corpus weight
- illusion
illusion
92,198 corpus weight
- incorrect
incorrect
92,197 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “idol” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | idol |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈaɪ.dl̩/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #7,802 |
| Misspellings tracked | 5 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “idol” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 5 spelling variants around idol (IPA /ˈaɪ.dl̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,802 among 2,140 “I” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for idol, with forms such as "diol", "iddol", and "idlo". 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, "io", "ill", "ion", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English ydole, from Old French idole, from Latin idolum, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “image, idol”), from εἶδος (eîdos, “form”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéydos (“seeing, image”), from *weyd- (“to see”). Doublet of aidoru, eidolon, and… The correct English form is idol, spelled I-D-O-L.
Definition
- 1A graven image or representation of anything that is revered, or believed to convey spiritual power.
- 2A cultural icon, or especially popular person.
- 3A popular entertainer, usually young, captivating and attractive, and often female, with an image of being close to fans.
- 4An eidolon or phantom; a misleading or elusive image or representation.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how idol appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship deuils, and idoles of golde, and siluer, and brasse, and stone, and of wood, which neither can see, nor heare, nor walke: 21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication,…
Sunning himself on the board steps, I saw for the first time Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke. He was dressed out in broad gaiters and bright tweeds, like an English tourist, and his face might have belonged to Dagon, idol of the Philistines.
Etymology
From Middle English ydole, from Old French idole, from Latin idolum, from Ancient Greek εἴδωλον (eídōlon, “image, idol”), from εἶδος (eîdos, “form”), from Proto-Indo-European *wéydos (“seeing, image”), from *weyd- (“to see”). Doublet of aidoru, eidolon, and idolum and related to idea.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- diol
- iddol
- idlo
- idoll
- iodl
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of idol - 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.
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 "idol"?
What does "idol" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "idol"?
How do you pronounce "idol"?
What is the origin of the word "idol"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "idol", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (5 here; floor ≥5).
What to do next
You've looked up "idol". Here's where to go from here.
- "idol" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "io". View pair
- 5 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
- Usage frequency rank #7,802 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
- Browse more English words in the "I" letter cohort. I–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.