darling

/ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/

//ˈdɑː.lɪŋ// noun

The verdict

“darling” is a moderately-common Spanish word, ranked #40,227 in Spanish word frequency and used as a noun.

#40,227
frequency rank, Spanish
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Persona muy estimada por otra.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

darling vs during
71% similar
darling vs dancing
71% similar

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

Key facts for darling
PropertyValue
Headworddarling
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#40,227
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “darling” sits in Spanish 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). darling 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 Spanish entry for darling is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #40,227 in overall Spanish 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for darling, with forms such as "adrling", "dalring", and "darilng". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "during", "dancing", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct Spanish form is darling, spelled D-A-R-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Persona muy estimada por otra.
  2. 2
    Querido, tratamiento afectuoso.
  3. 3
    La persona o cosa que es la favorita.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: adrling,dalring,darilng,darlign,darlingg,darlinng,darlling,darlnig,darrling,ddarling,draling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

adrling2dalring2darilng2darlign2darlingg1darlinng1darlling1darlnig2
Edit distance from "darling"

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "darling"?
"darling" is spelled D-A-R-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/.
What does "darling" mean?
As a noun, "darling" means: Persona muy estimada por otra.
What words are commonly confused with "darling"?
"darling" is commonly confused with "during", "dancing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "darling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "darling" is /ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "darling" come from?
"darling" is a Spanish word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “darling”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is D-A-R-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈdɑː.lɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “during” - see the side-by-side comparison. darling vs during
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish 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