Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

dubplate

/ˈdʌbˌpleɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.17 in modern English

Syllables: dub-plate
IPA: /ˈdʌbˌpleɪt/

13

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An acetate or vinyl record pressed in very limited numbers, especially one issued to disc jockeys in advance of an official release; specifically (and originally), one containing a piece of dub music (a style of reggae music, often instrumental, involving the mixing of different audio tracks).

Example Sentences

"You heard that new Danny Weed dubplate?"
"Their dub-plate (unreleased tracks on private pressings) battles are usually limited to JA [Jamaica] and the UK, but they have begun to invade the States with this unique form of entertainment."
"The sound systems – the mobile reggae discos with their own d.j.s, their "specials" and "dub plates" (specially recorded rhythms owned by the system), their own local followings – are networks of live wires and speakers, sounds and affects."
"Various Artists, Soundclash Dubplate Style (Taurus Jamaica)"
"[Courtney] Cole, who finds his artists through talent shows held at his Ocho Rice Roof Club, says he tries out new tunes on a live audience "first on dubplate [special one-off mixes for sound systems and radio jocks], so we can test again before pressing it.""
"The dubplate is a Jamaican idea: seventies sound systems pressed up their own tracks in order to outdo their rivals. Similarly, jungle's top DJs, desperate for exclusive tracks, spend more than two hundred pounds a week on dubplates—either their own productions or tracks by kindred-spirit producers. Dubplates are also a way of testing out a new track on a club sound system, of seeing how the crowd responds and what scope is for improving the record."

Etymology

From dub (“style of reggae music involving mixing of different audio tracks”) + plate (“music record, usually vinyl”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈdʌbˌpleɪt/
British English: /ˈdʌbpleɪt/

Inflected Forms

dubplates (plural) dub-plate (alternative) dub plate (alternative)

Questions

How do you pronounce dubplate?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈdʌbˌpleɪt/.
What does dubplate mean?: An acetate or vinyl record pressed in very limited numbers, especially one issued to disc jockeys in advance of an official release; specifically (and originally), one containing a piece of dub music (a style of reggae music, often instrumental, involving the mixing of different audio tracks).
Where does dubplate come from?: From dub (“style of reggae music involving mixing of different audio tracks”) + plate (“music record, usually vinyl”).

How to pronounce dubplate

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