English spellings/Catalogs/D
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| 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]
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
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 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, but see 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
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