Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

whodunit

/ˌhuːˈdʌn.ɪt/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.23 in modern English

Syllables: who-dunit
IPA: /ˌhuːˈdʌn.ɪt/

15

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A novel or drama concerning a crime (usually a murder) in which a detective follows clues to determine the perpetrator.

Example Sentences

"Actually, an whodunit is a mystery story. The hero is generally a detective, although sometimes he is a gentleman (apparently a mild mannered worm) who sallies forth at night to become Public Enemy No. One of Crime. Otherwise, the formula is exactly the same as that of the Cliff-hanger and follows the same rules."

Etymology

Coined by critic Donald Gordon in 1930. An alteration and univerbation of who done it? with ellipsis of has.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌhuːˈdʌn.ɪt/
British English: /ˌhuːˈdʌn.ɪt/

Inflected Forms

whodunits (plural) whodunnit (alternative)

Phrases

police procedural

Frequently Paired Words

howdunit wheredunit whydunit police procedural

Synonyms

detective novel detective story mystery story mystery

Rhymes With

dunnett brunett

Questions

How do you pronounce whodunit?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌhuːˈdʌn.ɪt/.
What does whodunit mean?: A novel or drama concerning a crime (usually a murder) in which a detective follows clues to determine the perpetrator.
Where does whodunit come from?: Coined by critic Donald Gordon in 1930. An alteration and univerbation of who done it? with ellipsis of has.

How to pronounce whodunit

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