blunder
blun·der/ˈblʌn.dɚ/noun, verb
blunder is spelled B-L-U-N-D-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables (blun·der). It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, blunder means “A clumsy or embarrassing mistake” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of blunder is blunders.
How many letters and syllables are in blunder?
| Letters | 7: B-L-U-N-D-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: blun·der |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,463rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; 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 blunder?
Blunder appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,463rd 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 blunder?
- UK /ˈblʌn.dəː/
- UK [ˈblʌ̹n.dəː]
- US /ˈblʌn.dɚ/
Blunder has 2 syllables, split blun·der in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-blunder.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with blunder?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as blunder from its last stressed vowel (/ʌndəɹ/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: bundler.
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 blunder
- blunders plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- blundering participle, present
- blundered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does blunder mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.
- 2
A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.
- 3
obsoleteConfusion; bewilderment; trouble; disturbance; clamour.
verb
- 1
To make a big mistake, especially when it is careless or stupid.
to blunder in preparing a medical prescription
- 2
To make a bad move, especially caused by tactical oversight.
- 3
To lose a piece due to having made a bad move [with the piece lost].
blunder a rook
- 4
To overlook the possibility of, or end up in, a specified undesirable situation after making a bad move.
blunder a draw
- 5
To move in an unsteady way.
I was never distinguished for address, and have often even blundered in making my bow.
- 6
To enter a place or become involved in a difficult situation by mistake.
- 7
obsoleteTo do or treat in a blundering manner; to confuse.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Blunder in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | gaffe, impair, faux pas, maladresse, bourde , faire une gaffe |
| German | Patzer, Schnitzer, Fehler, Fehlgriff, Mißgriff, Fauxpas |
| Portuguese | erro, confusão, gafe, mico, pontapé , cometer erro |
| Spanish | error, condoro, descache, torpeza, desliz, error garrafal |
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 blunder come from?
Inherited from Middle English blundren, blondren (verb) and blunder, blonder (“disturbance, strife”), from the verb; partly from Middle English blondren, a frequentative form of Middle English blonden, blanden ("to mix; mix up"; corresponding to blend + -er); and partly from Middle English blundren, a frequentative form of Middle English blunden (“to stagger; stumble”), from Old Norse blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).