# dud vs dum

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### dud
*noun · IPA /dʌd/ · frequency rank #29,251*
A device or machine that is useless because it does not work properly or has failed to work, such as a bomb, or explosive projectile.

### dum
*adjective · IPA /dʌm/ · frequency rank #23,517*
cooked with steam

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/dud-vs-dum