Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dunce

/dʌns/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.50 in modern English

Syllables
dunce
IPA
/dʌns/
8
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An unintelligent person.

Example Sentences

Etymology

1530, named after John Duns Scotus (c. 1266–1308). Scotus was ironically a well-known Scottish thinker; his followers, however, opposed the philosophers of the Renaissance, and thus "dunce" was first used to describe someone rejecting new knowledge in 1530; later, any person deemed stupid.

Inflected Forms

dunces (plural)

Derived Forms

bedunce duncedom duncehead duncehood duncelike duncely duncery duncical duncify duncish dunceish duncy

Phrases

dunce cap dunce hat

Synonyms

idiot addle-brain addlehead addle pate airhead baboon beanbrain beetlebrain beetlehead berk bimbo birdbrain

Rhymes With

once months one's bunce

Questions

How do you pronounce dunce?
The recorded pronunciation is /dʌns/.
What does dunce mean?
An unintelligent person.
Where does dunce come from?
1530, named after John Duns Scotus (c. 1266–1308). Scotus was ironically a well-known Scottish thinker; his followers, however, opposed the philosophers of the Renaissance, and thus "dunce" was first used to describe someone rejecting new knowledge in 1530; later, any person deemed stupid.

How to pronounce dunce

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