bluff
/blʌf/noun, verb, adjective
bluff is spelled B-L-U-F-F: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 3.8 times per million words in written English, the 13,321st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bluff means “An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one’s position in order to intimidate or deceive; braggadocio” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bluff is bluffs.
How many letters and syllables are in bluff?
| Letters | 5: B-L-U-F-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.8 times per million words; the 13,321st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is bluff?
Bluff appears 3.8 times per million words in written English, the 13,321st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce bluff?
- US /blʌf/
- Australia /blɐf/
- /blʊf/
Bluff has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-bluff.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with bluff?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bluff from its last stressed vowel (/ʌf/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of bluff
- bluffs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- bluffing participle, present
- bluffed participle, past
- bluffer comparative
- bluffest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does bluff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An act of bluffing; a false expression of the strength of one’s position in order to intimidate or deceive; braggadocio.
That is only bluff, or That is only a bluff.
- 2
An attempt to represent oneself as holding a stronger hand than one actually does.
John’s bet was a bluff: he bet without even so much as a pair.
- 3
USdatedThe card game poker.
- 4
One who bluffs; a bluffer.
- 5
datedslangPretense, excuse.
- 6
A high, steep bank, for example by a river or the sea, or beside a ravine or plain; a cliff with a broad face.
- 7
A small wood or stand of trees, typically poplar or willow.
verb
- 1
To make a bluff; to give the impression that one’s hand is stronger than it is.
John bluffed by betting without even a pair.
- 2
To frighten, deter, or deceive with a false show of strength or confidence; to give a false impression of strength or temerity in order to intimidate or gain some advantage.
The government claims it will call an election if this bill does not pass. Is it truly ready to do so, or is it bluffing?
- 3
To perform or achieve by bluffing.
We bluffed our way past the guards.
- 4
To give false information intentionally, to lie (to someone), to deceive; to put on an act.
- 5
To fluff, puff or swell up.
adjective
- 1
Having a broad, flattened front.
the bluff bows of a ship
- 2
Rising steeply with a flat or rounded front.
a bluff or bold shore
- 3
Surly; churlish; gruff; rough.
- 4
Roughly frank and hearty in one's manners.
a bluff answer
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Bluff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Bluffen , Bluff , bluffen, markieren , Steilufer, Felsufer |
| Portuguese | bluff, blefe , blefar , enganar, iludir, ludibriar |
| Spanish | farol, bluf, blof, bluff, finta, blofe |
| French | bluffer , falaise |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does bluff come from?
Probably from Dutch bluffen (“to brag”), from Middle Dutch bluffen (“to make something swell; to bluff”); or from the Dutch noun bluf (“bragging”). Related to German verblüffen (“to stump, perplex”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).