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
Dâeŵoo *Dâyû (Korean: 대우)
Dágenham hard g: *Dággənəm
dágger hard g: *dággə(r)
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 -tion
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 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
décade years, cf. decâyed decay (some speakers rhyme them: decâde)
decál
decánt
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
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
demānd
démo
demócracy cf. hypócrisy
democrátic démm-
demográphic démm-
dêmon
démonstrate
demür
demûre
Deng' Xiaoping = dúng manure
dénguê fêver
dénier weight, coin *dényər, cf. denîer deny
déním make a minimal pair with Dénham
Dénis = Dénnis, cf. ténnis, pênis
Denìse -êez
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
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
detrîtus
deûce 2 ≈ jûice 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
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
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, minimal pair with dúsk
discòver
discrêet guarded = discrête separate
discrétion -éshən
discriminâtory
díscus
discúss
disêase *dizêez
disequilíbrium
disgúst revulsion ≈ discússed talked
disingénûous cf. ingênious
dísk computer = dísc record, circular
Dísney *Díznì
disŏrder
*dispánd disbánd
dispátch or despátch
dispénsable
díspërse scatter = dísbürse spend
*dispise despîse
dispûte cf. despîte
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
Djángo Reînhardt (but pronounced differently in French)
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
dóff
Dôge -j
dóg-êat-dóg
dógged verb *dógd: this próblem dógged us; adjective *dóggíd: a dógged pursûer
dôle money = Dôle person
dóll model
dóllar
domâin territory = demèsne estate, domâine vineyard
dóminant rhymes with próminent
Dominìca
Domínican Repúblic
Dómino Fats
dóminoes
dón clothes, academic = Dón person
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
dǒyen male, or = doyénne female
dôze
dôzed doze
dòzen 12
dráchma -km- or -khm-
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
dríll
drîly or drŷly (cf. sprŷly, slŷly only)
drîve
drível makes a minimal pair with drízzle
drôll
drómedary
droôp down = drûpe fruit
dròught *dròut, cf. drāught = drāft
drúnkenness -nn-
Drûze
dûal two = dûel fight ≈ jeŵel 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
Dûma Russia = Doûma Lebanon
Dumbàrton Scotland = Dunbàrton
dúmb-bell
dún colour = Dúnn person = dòne do, cf. dón clothes, academic = Dón Donald
Dúncan rhymes with drúnken
Dundêe
dûne sand ≈ Jûne
Dunkïrk
dunnô, colloquial contraction of dôn't knôw
dûplicate
duréss
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
Dyfi is the Welsh spelling of Dòvey
dynámic
dŷnamísm
dŷnamîte
dýs- bad = dís- negative
dýsentery
dysfúnctional
dysléxic