Pronunciation: [dɹˈakjʊlə] (IPA) 
The spelling of the word "Dracula" is based on its original Romanian pronunciation. In IPA phonetic transcription, it can be written as /draˈkula/. The 'd' is pronounced as a voiced dental fricative 'ð' in some dialects of Romanian, while in others it is pronounced as a voiced alveolar stop 'd'. The 'r' is rolled, and the 'a' sound is a long open back unrounded vowel 'aː'. The stress in the word falls on the second syllable, 'ku'.
Dracula is a noun that refers to the fictional character of a vampire created by the Irish author Bram Stoker in 1897. It can also relate to vampires inspired by Stoker's Dracula or the myths surrounding them. The term is predominantly used as a proper noun to denote the specific character from literature but can also be employed as a common noun to represent vampire figures in general.
In its specific context, Dracula describes the central antagonist of Stoker's novel, "Dracula." This character is a powerful and cunning vampire from Transylvania, depicted as an immortal creature that requires the consumption of blood to survive. Dracula possesses supernatural abilities, such as shape-shifting, mind control, and the ability to transform into a bat. The novel follows the Count's attempts to relocate from Transylvania to England to spread his vampiric curse.
The term "Dracula" has transcended its literary origins and become synonymous with vampires and the horror genre as a whole. Inspired by Stoker's novel, countless adaptations, films, and works of fiction have depicted Dracula as an iconic and influential vampire figure. While the character and narrative vary across interpretations, Dracula retains core traits such as immortality, nocturnal habits, a thirst for blood, and an aversion to sunlight and crucifixes.
Overall, Dracula represents an enduring and emblematic figure within vampire lore, having left a significant impact on literature, film, and popular culture.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word Dracula is derived from the Romanian word dracul which, in turn, is derived from the Latin word draco meaning dragon or devil. Dracula is the definite form of dracul and roughly translates to the son of the dragon or the son of the devil. The term dracul originally referred to Vlad II, a medieval ruler who was part of the Order of the Dragon, a chivalric order created by the Holy Roman Emperor in the 15th century. His son, Vlad III, who is popularly known as Vlad the Impaler, is widely believed to be the inspiration for the vampire character Count Dracula created by Bram Stoker in his famous novel named Dracula.
