How to Pronounce Dull

To pronounce "dull", say DULL — one syllable, IPA /dəl/. Tap play below to hear it in four English accents, or practice it syllable by syllable.

dull

Tap to hear · American accent

Accent

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Speed

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1

Syllable

4

Letters

/dəl/

IPA

💡 Tip for remembering “dull”

"dull" is a single-syllable word — say it in one clean beat. It rhymes with lull and mull, if that helps it stick.

Sounds exactly like: dulle — easy to mix up when writing.

What does dull mean?

verb

  1. To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

    “Years of misuse have dulled the tools.”

  2. To soften, moderate or blunt; to make dull, stupid, or sluggish; to stupefy.

    “He drinks to dull the pain.”

adjective

  1. Lacking the ability to cut easily; not sharp.

    “All these knives are dull.”

  2. Boring; not exciting or interesting.

    “He sat through the dull lecture and barely stayed awake.”

Synonyms

dullenlacklustermatte

Antonyms

brightintelligentsharp

Hear “dull” in real sentences

Real example sentences from Tatoeba (CC-BY) — tap to hear each one, or see it used on YouGlish.

Words that rhyme with dull

Practicing rhymes trains the same ending sounds.

lullmullnullcullgullscullskulltrullullefulstrullsquill

Related words

bluntho-humhumdrumbenumbsluggishuninterestingdumbdrab

Frequently asked questions

How many syllables are in "dull"?▾

"Dull" has one syllable.

What is the IPA transcription of "dull"?▾

The IPA transcription of "dull" is /dəl/.

What does "dull" mean?▾

Dull: To render dull; to remove or blunt an edge or something that was sharp.

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