How do you pronounce blank?

The recorded pronunciation is /blæːnk/.

Where does blank come from?

It is traced to Middle English.

blank

/blæːnk/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: 4.14 in modern English

Syllables: blank
IPA: /blæːnk/

Scrabble Score

Letters

Syllables

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

White or pale; without colour.

Archaic

adj

Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in.

adj

Lacking characteristics which give variety; uniform.

adj

Abject; absolute; complete; downright; sheer; utter.

adj

Without expression, usually because of incomprehension.

adj

Utterly confounded or discomfited.

adj

Empty; void; without result; fruitless; futile.

adj

Devoid of thoughts, memory, or inspiration.

Example Sentences

"To the blanc Moone / Her office they preſcrib'd,"
"blank paper"
"a blank check"
"a blank ballot"
"a blank CD"
"Referee Michael Oliver failed to detect a foul in a crowded box and the Canaries escaped down the tunnel with the scoreline still blank."

Etymology

From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). Akin to Old High German blanch (“shining, bright, white”) (German blank), Old English blanc (“white, grey”), blanca (“white steed”), Spanish blanco. More at blink, blind, blanch. Doublet of blanc.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: *bʰleyǵ-, blank, -, blanc, *blank, *blankaz

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /blæːnk/
British English: /blænk/

Usage

Inflected Forms

blanker (comparative) more blank (comparative) blankest (superlative) most blank (superlative) blanks (plural) blanks (present, singular) blanking (participle, present) blanked (participle, past) blanked (past)

Derived Forms

blanagram blankable blanken blankish blankless blankly blankness Blankshire Blanksville Blanktown Blankville nonblank

Phrases

blank canvas blank-cartridge blank check blank end blankety-blank blank-faced blank leaf blank on

Frequently Paired Words

Blankshire

Synonyms

draw a blank freeze freeze up blank cartridge blank bullet utter clean white

Rhymes With

thank bank frank tank rank drank hank prank sank flank crank plank