# blunder

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈblʌn.də(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #24,395

## Definitions
1. A clumsy or embarrassing mistake.
2. A very bad move, usually caused by some tactical oversight.
3. Confusion; bewilderment; trouble; disturbance; clamour.

## Etymology
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”). Cognates include Norwegian blunda (“to shut the eyes; doze”), dialectal Swedish blundra (“to act blindly or rashly”), Danish blunde (“to blink”) or blunde (“to take a nap”), Icelandic blunda (“to nap; doze”). Related to English blind.

## Easily confused with
- **bunker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blunder-vs-bunker)
- **boulder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blunder-vs-boulder)
- **bounded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blunder-vs-bounded)
- **bouncer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blunder-vs-bouncer)
- **bluster** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blunder-vs-bluster)
- **blonde** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blonde-vs-blunder)
- **bender** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bender-vs-blunder)
- **binder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/binder-vs-blunder)
- **bladder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bladder-vs-blunder)
- **blended** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blended-vs-blunder)
- **blinded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blinded-vs-blunder)
- **blender** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blender-vs-blunder)
- **blinders** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/blinders-vs-blunder)

## Common misspellings (11)
`bblunder`, `bllunder`, `blnuder`, `bludner`, `blundder`, `blunderr`, `blundre`, `blunedr`, `blunnder`, `bulnder`, `lbunder`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/blunder