English spellings/Catalogs/D

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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]


D = Dêe person, river

dáchshund *dáxund

Dâeŵoo *Dâyû (Korean: 대우)

dâhlia cf. Dêlia (minimal pair)

Dail parliament = Dŏyle person

dâily day = Dâley person

daiquíri daî-

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 -on

Dalziél, Dalzéll *Dêe-él, *Dalyéll

dám river = dámn hell

dámage

Dámascêne

Damáscus

damnâtion ends like nâtion

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

Dániel *Dányəl

Dânish

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

dàytime one word or hyphenated

dâze dazzle = dâys day

de, the first part of certain expressions, from French, pronounced *də (as in de lûxe or de lúxe), or Latin, pronounced (dè fácto); 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)

Deauville *Dôvíl

debàcle

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 = début *dâybyû or débyû

dèbuted = débuted *dâybyûd or débyûd

décade years, cf. decâyed decay, though some speakers do rhyme them: decâde

decánt

Decémber

dêcent

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

decrépit

dêed cf. déad

dêer animal = dêar friend, expensive

dè fácto two words, *dây-fácto; or it can be hyphenated to distinguish it from the many more combinations with schwa-pronounced de

defámatory

defâme

dêfect imperfection (noun)

deféct nation (verb)

defër cf. díffer

déficit

définitely (not -ately)

déft, cf. léft, déaf

defúnct *defúnked

defûse problem -, -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

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

déluge -yû-

delûsion cf. illûsion

de lûxe or de lúxe

démagógue -g

demānd

démo

demócracy cf. hypócrisy

democrátic démm-

dêmon

demür

demûre

Deng' Xiaoping = dúng manure

dénguê fêver

dénier weight, coin *dényər, cf. denîer deny

Dénis = Dénnis, df, ténnis, pênis

Denìse -êez

denŷ

depéndant person = depéndent adjective

dépôt BrE *déppo, dêpôt AmE *dêepo

dè profùndis

dërby contest = Dërby England AmE; BrE = Dàrby person

de riguëur *dərigër, hard g

derîsive, though some say í and/or -zív

derívative

desálinate

descénd

descéndant

descént down = dissént disagree

descrîbe dís-

désert sand

desërt leave = dessërt meal

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

detrîtus

deûce 2jûice liquid

Deutsch- German, as in Deutschebank *Dŏitchəbánk, Deutschmark *Dŏitchmàrk

dévastate

devastâtion

devélop rhymes with envélop verb, cf. énvelôpe noun

devélopment

devîce -ss, cf. divîde

dévil

devîse -z, cf. divîde

Dévon

devôte

devotêe

devòut

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

Deŵey

déxtrous or déxterous

diabêtes *dîəbêtêez or -tíz

diabétic

diaéresis BrE; AmE diéresis *dî-éresis

diálýsis *dî-álýsis

diámeter *dî-ámətər

dîamond gemDŷmond 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

dictâte cf. díktát

dîcy dodgy cf. Dícky, Díckie persons

didgeridoô

dîe death = dŷe colour

dîehard one word

diéresis AmE, BrE diaéresis *dî-éresis

dìêsel

dîet *dîət

díffer cf. defër

diffûse various -ss, give out -z

dígit

díktát cf. dictâte

dilémma

dilettántê

Dímbleby cf. búmblebee

Dimìtri, Dimìtry, Dmìtri, Dmìtry

dímwit one word

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

discòver

discrêet guarded = discrête separate

discrétion -éshən

discriminâtory

díscus

discúss

disequilíbrium

disgúst revulsiondiscússed talked

disingénûous cf. ingênious

dísk computer = dísc record, circular

Dísney *Díznì

*dispánd disbánd

dispátch or despátch

dispénsable

díspërse scatter = dísbürse spend

*dispise despîse

dispûte cf. despîte

disséction

dissént disagree = descént down

dissymétric dîssý-

dístribûte or distríbûte -yû-

dívidénd

divîne cf. Devìne

divîsive cf. divîde, dêvious, devîse, though some say divísive, cf. divísion

Djángo Reînhardt (unlike in French)

Dmìtri, Dmìtry, Dimìtri, Dimìtry

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

doable *dûwable

dóc doctor = dóck leaf, court, cut

Dócherty or Dóherty same pronunciation: Celtic ch sound, same as Arabic kh as in Khàn

dôcîle AmE *dóssle

Dódgson = Dódson

dôe animal = dôugh bread = dôh music, exclamation

dòes do *dúz, cf. dôes female deer, fãir do’s, *doôz

dóff

dóg-êat-dóg

dógged verb *dógd: this próblem dógged us

dógged adjective *dóggíd: a dógged pursûer

Dôhà

dôle money = Dôle person

dóll model

dóllar

domâin territory = demèsne estate, domâine vineyard

Dominìca

Domínican Repúblic

dóminant rhymes with próminent

dón clothes, academic = Dón person

dòne do = dún colour = Dúnn person = Dònne poet

dóner kebab = Dónner person

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, cf. dòughty

Doúg Douglas = dúg dig

Doûgall

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

dôughnút *dônut

dòughty *dòwty

Doúglas *Dúgləss

doûr serious, one syllable ≈ doer do, two syllables

dòuse

dòve bird

dôve dive, AmE for dîved

dòvish

dòwnfall one word

downhíll one word

dòwry

dǒyen male, or = doyénne female

dôze

dôzed doze

dòzen 12

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 designdråwer pull

dråwback noun one word

dreŵ draw = Dreŵ person

dríll

drîly or drŷly (cf. sprŷly, slŷly only)

drível makes a minimal pair with drízzle

drôll

drómedary

droôp down = drûpe fruit

dròught *dròut, cf. drāught = drāft

drúnkenness -nn-

Drûze

dûal two = dûel fightjeŵel stone

dúchess cf. Dútch

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

dúffel, cf. trúffle

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

dúmb-bell

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

Dúncan rhymes with drúnken

Dundêe

dûne sandJûne

Dunkïrk

dunnô, colloquial contraction of dôn't knôw

dûplicate

Dúrham *Dúrrəm

dûring j-

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

dynámic

dŷnamísm

dŷnamîte

dýs- bad = dís- negative

dýsentery

dysfúnctional

dysléxic