Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dew

/d͡ʒuː/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.52 in modern English

Syllables
dew
IPA
/d͡ʒuː/
7
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Any moisture from the atmosphere condensed by cool bodies upon their surfaces.

Uncountable

noun

An instance of such moisture settling on plants, etc.

Countable

noun

Anything that falls lightly and in a refreshing manner.

Countable; Uncountable

noun

An emblem of morning, or fresh vigour.

Countable; Uncountable

verb

To wet with, or as if with, dew; to moisten.

Transitive verb

verb

To deposit dew.

Intransitive verb

noun

Acronym of Distant Early Warning.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From Middle English dew, from Old English dēaw (“dew”), from Proto-West Germanic *dauw, from Proto-Germanic *dawwaz, *dawwą (“dew, moisture”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”). Cognate with German Tau, Dutch dauw and Afrikaans dou. Doublet of dag.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *dʰewh₂-, dew, dēaw, *dauw, *dawwaz, dewe

Usage

Inflected Forms

Derived Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Homonyms

Rhymes With

Questions

How do you pronounce dew?
The recorded pronunciation is /d͡ʒuː/.
What does dew mean?
Any moisture from the atmosphere condensed by cool bodies upon their surfaces.
Where does dew come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce dew

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