dav

\ˈdɑːf\

/\ˈdɑːf\/ verb

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

The verdict

“dav” is uncommon French (frequency #88,521 among 404,891 “D” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,521
frequency rank, French
404,891
“D” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Forme mutée de tav par adoucissement (t → d).

Key facts for dav
PropertyValue
Headworddav
LanguageFrench
Part of speechVerb
IPA\ˈdɑːf\
Letters3
Frequency rank#88,521
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dav” sits in French 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). dav lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

dav is uncommon French at frequency #88,521 among 404,891 “D” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed \ˈdɑːf\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Forme mutée de tav par adoucissement (t → d).".

Zero misspellings are on record for dav in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct French form is dav, spelled D-A-V.

Definition

  1. 1
    Forme mutée de tav par adoucissement (t → d).

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dav"?
"dav" is spelled D-A-V. The IPA pronunciation is \ˈdɑːf\.
What does "dav" mean?
As a verb, "dav" means: Forme mutée de tav par adoucissement (t → d).
How do you pronounce "dav"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dav" is \ˈdɑːf\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "dav" come from?
"dav" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “dav”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is D-A-V - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ˈdɑːf\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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