Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

confound

/kənˈfaʊnd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.65 in modern English

Syllables
con-found
IPA
/kənˈfaʊnd/
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To perplex or puzzle.

verb

To stun or amaze.

verb

To fail to see the difference; to mix up; to confuse right and wrong.

verb

To make something worse.

verb

To combine in a confused fashion; to mingle so as to make the parts indistinguishable.

verb

To cause to be ashamed; to abash.

verb

To defeat, to frustrate, to thwart.

verb

To damn (a mild oath).

Dated

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English confounden (“destroy, ruin, perplex”), from Anglo-Norman cunfundre and Old French confondre, from Latin cōnfundō (“to mingle, mix together”). Related to found (“to melt (metals in a foundry)”) (but not to found (“to start”), nor to find) and to fusion.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *ǵʰewd-, confounden, cunfundre, confondre, cōnfundō

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

confounding factor confounding variable confound it

Synonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce confound?
The recorded pronunciation is /kənˈfaʊnd/.
What does confound mean?
To perplex or puzzle.
Where does confound come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce confound

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “confound”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/kənˈfaʊnd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “confound”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “confound” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.