English spellings/Catalogs/D

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
Common misspellings

This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with D. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.

For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.^[e]

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D = Dêe person, river

dáchshund *dáxund

Dà'ésh for some speakers = dásh; also Dà'ísh, Dà'êesh, *Dâesh, etc.

Dâewoo *Dâyû (Korean: 대우)

Dágenham, hard g: *Dággənəm

dágger, hard g: *dággə(r)

daguérreotype *dəgérətype

dâhlia cf. Dêlia (minimal pair)

Dail parliament = Dŏyle person

dâily day = Dâley person

Dâimler

daiquíri dî-

dãiry milk cf. dîary day

dàís (may be written daïs) ≈ dîce

Dákàr

Dálaî Làma

Dàlek

Dalglìsh

Dàli (but Salvador has a different vowel accented in the original Catalan and Spanish: Dalí)

Dalmâtian not spelt -tion

Dalziél, Dalzéll, Dalyéll *Dêe-él (*DL)

dám river = dámn hell

dámage

Dámascêne

Damáscus

damnâtion ends like nâtion

dânger -njer, cf. clánger, hánger: ng, not j sound

Dániel *Dányəl

Dânish Denmark; Dánish person

Dántê BrE, AmE Dàntè

Dánube

Dáphnê *Dáffney

dãredévil one word

daresây is one word in Î daresây meaning ‘probably’; otherwise dãre and sây are two separate words

Darfùr

dàrtbŏard one word

dāstardly cf. bāstard

dâta BrE; AmE dáta; Australian English dàta

dâtabâse BrE; AmE dátabâse one word

dåughter *dåwter

Dâvìês -z AmE; BrE = Dâvis

dávit

dåwdle

dàytime one word or hyphenated

dâze dazzle = dâys day

de, the first part of certain expressions (mostly from French, pronounced *də; exception: dè fácto, from Latin); also forming surnames, as in de Cŏurcey, de Móntfort, although in AmE, this is usually joined to the name and capitalised, Mc-style, as in DeLíllo, DeJohnétte

déad death cf. dêed do

déadline one word

déadlock one word

déaf cf. déft

dêal

déalt

dêar loved, expensive = dêer animal

dëarth cf. dïrt (minimal pair)

déath

Deauville *Dôvíl

debàcle

debonãir rhymes with questionnâire

Déborah and Débora usually sound like Débra

débrìs can be written with the French accent: débris; BrE *débbry or *dâybree; AmE *dəbrêe

débt *dét; silent b

dèbut or début *dâybyû or débyû

débutant

dèbuted = débuted *dâybyûd or débyûd

décâde years, first syllable stressed, cf. decâyed decay, second, though some speakers rhyme them: decâde

decál

decánt

Decâtur

Decémber

dêcent

décibél

decídûous -yû

décimate

decîpher cf. cŷpher or cîpher

déckchair one word

Déclan

declãrerhymes with eclãir

declássè can be written as in French déclassé *dây-clássây

decŏrum

decrépit

dêed cf. déad

dêer animal = dêar friend, expensive

dè fácto two words, *dây-fácto, dê- or dí-

defámatory

defâme

dêfect imperfection (noun)

deféct nation (verb)

defër cf. díffer

defîant

déficit

définitely (not -ately)

déft, cf. léft, déaf

defúnct *defúnked

defûse problem dê-, -z, cf. diffûse, dí-, -s

Degàs *Dəgà, though many anglophones say 'Dâygà' as if the French (plain Degas) were 'Dégas'

degénerate

dèign condescend = Dâne Denmark

Dêimos

deipnósphist

Dêirdrê = Dêidrê

dèíty rhymes with lâíty

déjà vu *dèzhà-vû

de là Mére

dé la Rûe

delây

deletêrious

Délhi India = déli delicatessen

délicacy

delícious -ísh-

delínêâte

delínquent

delîght -ît

Dêlius cf. Sibèlius

delíver

delívery

déll = Dél

déluge -yû-

delûsion cf. illûsion

de lûxe or de lúxe

démagógue -g

demàrche -sh

demānd

démo

demócracy cf. hypócrisy

democrátic démm-

demográphic démm-

dêmon

démonstrate

demür

demûre

Deng Xiaoping = dúng manure (*Dúng Shàòw Píng)

dénguê fêver

dénier weight, coin *dényər, cf. denîer deny

déním make a minimal pair with Dénham

Dénis = Dénnis, cf. ténnis, pênis

Denìse -êez

denoûement *dènûmàn

dénse makes a minimal pair with dānce

denŷ

denîal, cf. Dániel

depéndant person = depéndent adjective

dépôt BrE *déppo, dêpôt AmE *dêepo

deprâve

deprávity (some AmE deprâvity)

deprivâtion

deprîve

dè profùndis

dépôt, silent t, *déppo

députy

Dêrám

dërby contest = Dërby England AmE; BrE = Dàrby person

de riguëur *dərigër, hard g

derîsive, though some say í and/or -zív

derívative

dérring-do *dérring-dû, cf. dãring

desálinate

descénd

descéndant

descént down = dissént disagree

descrîbe dís-

désert sand

desërt leave = dessërt meal; also júst desërts deserved

désiccate is very commonly misspelt: -ss- would be expected after é; a similar case is párallel

desîrable

Des Mŏines *Dəmŏin, *Dimŏin

despãir

despátch or dispátch

désperate cf. dísparate, séparate

desperâtion

despícable

despîse

despîte cf. dispûte

dessërt meal -zërt = desërt leave

dessërts just -zërts

détail BrE noun

detâil verb, AmE noun

detër

detêriorate

detërmíne

detérrent, -nce BrE; AmE detërrent, -nce

détriment

detrîtus

deûce 2 ≈ jûice liquid

Deutsch- German, as in Deutschebank *Dŏitchəbánk, deutschmark *dŏitchmàrk, nowadays in view of its being a historical usage, often as German language Deutsche Mark

dévastate

devastâtion

devélop rhymes with envélop verb, cf. énvelôpe noun

devélopment

dêviant

devîce -ss, cf. divîde

dévil

devîse -z, cf. divîde

Dêvo

Dévon

DeVós

devôte

devotêe

devòut

deŵ morning = dûe owed, cf. do act *dû

Deŵey

déxtrous or déxterous

dh- is found in words from Hindi (e.g. dhôti), pronounced as a mere d; in respellings it represents the voiced th sound, as in thís and thát

diabêtes *dîəbêtêez or -tíz

diabétic

diaéresis BrE; AmE diéresis *dî-éresis

diálýsis *dî-álýsis

diámeter *dî-ámətər

dîamond gem ≈ Dŷmond person

Diána *Dî-ánna

Diáne *Dî-ánn, cf. Joánne = Jô Ánn, etc.

dîáphanous

dîaphragm -ám

diarrhoêa BrE *dîre-rêar; AmE diarrhêa

dîary, cf. dãiry

diáspora

Díckens

Díckinson

dictâte cf. díktát

dîcy dodgy *dîsy (from dîce), cf. Dícky, Díckie persons

didgeridoô

dîe death = dŷe colour

dîehard one word

diéresis AmE, BrE diaéresis *dî-éresis

dìêsel

dîet *dîət

díffer cf. defër

dífference

differéntiate -sh(ì)âte

diffûse various -ss, give out -z

dígit

díktát cf. dictâte

dilâte (î)

dílatory

dilémma

dilettántê

dilûte (î)

Dímbleby cf. búmblebee

Dimìtri, Dimìtry, Dmìtri, Dmìtry

dímwit one word

dîner person cf. dínner food

dínghy boat, no g sound, only ng sound

díngy dark *dínjy

dînosåur

dîocese *dîəsíss

diphthêria

díphthong *dípthong

diplôma

díplomat

dîre cf. dêar

dírham

dírigible

disassôciate

disarrây

disāstrous -zā-, no 'e', cf. disāster; mürderous, cantánkerous, etc.

disbánd, cf. expánd

dísc record, circular = dísk computer, minimal pair with dúsk

discòver

discrêet guarded = discrête separate

discrétion -éshən

discriminâtory

díscus

discúss

disêase *dizêez

disequilíbrium

disgúst revulsion ≈ discússed talked

disingénûous cf. ingênious ("disingenious" does not exist)

dísk computer = dísc record, circular

Dísney *Díznì

disŏrder

*dispánd disbánd

dispátch or despátch

dispénsable

díspërse scatter = dísbürse spend

*dispise despîse

dispûte cf. despîte

disréputable

disséct díss-, some AmE dîss-, perhaps by analogy with biséct bî-

disséction

dissént disagree = descént down

dissymétric dîssý-

distråught *distråwt makes a minimal pair with distŏrt (regardless of whether post-vocalic r is pronounced in the latter)

dístribûte or distríbûte -yû-

dívidénd

divîne cf. Devìne

divîsive -îcive; some say *divíssive, cf. devîse -îze, divísion -zh-, divîde, dêvious

Diwàli

Dj- French spelling of English j or soft g sound

Djángo Reînhardt, English pronunciation *Jángo Rînehàrt

Djiboûti *Jiboôty

Dmìtri, Dmìtry, Dimìtri, Dimìtry

do *doô, cf. dûe cause, time = deŵ morning *dyû

doable *dûwable

dóc doctor = dóck leaf, court, cut

Dócherty = Dóherty, Celtic ch sound, same as Arabic kh as in Khàn, though commonly *Dockerty

dôcîle AmE *dóssle

dóctríne

doctrînal

Dódgson = Dódson

dôe animal = dôugh bread = dôh music, exclamation

doer do *dûwər, cf. doûr serious, one syllable

dòes do *dúz, cf. dôes deers (= dôze sleep), fãir do's, *doôz

Dôge -j

dóg-êat-dóg

dógged verb *dógd: this próblem dógged us; adjective *dóggíd: a dógged pursûer

Dôhà

dôle money = Dôle person

dóll model

dóllar money = dólour BrE, dólor AmE sad

domâin territory = demèsne estate, domâine vineyard

dóminant rhymes with próminent

dominâtrix

Dominìca

Domínican Repúblic

Dómino Fats

dóminoes

dón clothes, academic = Dón person, river

dòne do = dún colour = Dúnn person = Dònne poet

dóner kebab = Dónner person

Donétsk -nyét-

dônor give

dônut for dôughnút is strictly commercial and unsuitable in other contexts

doômsday doom = Domesday Book

dŏorstép one word

doôsra

doô-wóp, hyphenated, but first part stressed; cf. whópping

dóppelganger, often with German umlaut: doppelgänger

dŏrmant

dóssièr silent French r; or e regularised to schwa: *dóssiər

Dostoyévsky, Dostoévsky

dót-cóm

doúble rhymes with búbble

doúble bâss has no hyphen

doûble entendre *doôblon-tóndrə

dòubt *dòut, unsure, cf. dòughty *dòuty

dòubtful

Doúg Douglas = dúg dig

Doûgall

dôugh bake, money = dôe deer = dôh music, exclamation, cf. dóff off, dòubt *dòut

dôughnút *dônut

dòughty brave *dòwty

Doúglas *Dúgləss

doûr serious, one syllable ≈ doer do, *dûwər, two syllables

dòuse

dòve bird

dôve dive, AmE for dîved

dòvish

dòwnfall one word

downhíll one word

dòwry

dóxing—or dóxxing, but as x = ks, thus maintaining the ó sound, the xx seems unnecessary, cf. bóxing

dǒyen male, or = doyénne female

dôze

dôzed doze

dòzen 12 rhymes with còusin

dráchm alternative BrE = drám BrE, AmE

dráchma *drákmə, *drákhmə

dracônian

drāft AmE all meanings, BrE outline, money, group, US conscription = drāught

dràgon

dràma

drāught BrE cold, net, liquids, game, horse = drāft, cf. dròught *dròwt

dråw design ≈ dråwer pull

dråwback noun one word

dreŵ draw = Dreŵ person

drîer machine, comparative, see drŷer

dríll

drîly or drŷly (cf. sprŷly, slŷly only)

drîve

drível makes a minimal pair with drízzle

drŷer may be more common than drîer for the machine, but both that meaning and the adjectival "more dry" may be spelt either way

drôll

drómedary

droôp down = drûpe fruit

dròught *dròut, cf. drāught = drāft

drúnkenness -nn-

Drûze

dûal two = dûel fight ≈ jeŵel stone

Dúblin Ireland makes a mnimal pair with doúbling double

dúchess cf. Dútch

dúdgeon, as in ín hîgh dúdgeon, cf. dúngeon

dûe owed = deŵ morning *dyû, cf. do act *dû

dúffel, cf. trúffle

Dúlwich *Dúllidge: in Dúlwich Cóllege both words end in -íj

Dûma Russia = Doûma Lebanon

Dumbàrton Scotland = Dunbàrton

dúmb-bell

Dumfriês -êece

dún colour = Dúnn person = dòne do, cf. dón clothes, academic = Dón Donald

Dúncan rhymes with drúnken

Dundêe

dûne sand ≈ Jûne

dúngeon prison, cf. dúdgeon high

Dunkïrk

dunnô, colloquial contraction of dôn't knôw

dûplicate

duréss

Dúrham *Dúrrəm

dûring j-

Dúrrell

Dùsseldorf (German: Düsseldorf)

dúst dirt = dòst archaic do

dústbin one word

dûty rhymes and forms a minimal pair with beaûty

duúmvirate -ûú-

dûvèt *doôvây

Dvŏrak *Dvåwzhàk (Czech: Dvořák)

dŷe colour = dîe dead

dŷeing dye = dŷing die

Dyfi is the Welsh spelling of Dòvey

dynámic

dŷnamísm

dŷnamîte

dynástic

dýnasty BrE, AmE dŷnasty

dýs- bad = dís- negative

dýsentery

dysfúnctional

dysléxic