bunker

bunk·er/ˈbʌŋ.kɚ/noun, verb

bunker is spelled B-U-N-K-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables (bunk·er). It appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, bunker means “A hardened shelter, often partly buried or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of bunker is bunkers.

How many letters and syllables are in bunker?

Letters	6: B-U-N-K-E-R
Syllables	2: bunk·er
In writing	4.7 times per million words; the 11,685th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search
Rhymes with	hunker clunker

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 bunker?

Bunker appears 4.7 times per million words in written English, the 11,685th most frequent word form in the list.

bunker0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce bunker?

UK /ˈbʌŋ.kə/
/ˈbʊŋ.kə/
US /ˈbʌŋ.kɚ/

Bunker has 2 syllables, split bunk·er in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-bunker.wav, En-au-bunker.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with bunker?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as bunker from its last stressed vowel (/ʌŋkəɹ/):

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 bunker

bunkers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
bunkering participle, present
bunkered participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does bunker mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

1
A hardened shelter, often partly buried or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks.
The military built a bunker to help evacuate the citizens safely from the bombings.
2
A compartment for storing coal for the ship's boilers; or a tank for storing fuel oil for the ship's engines.
3
The coal compartment on a tank engine; it can also refer to that on a tender engine.
4
Ellipsis of bunker oil (usually plural).
The vessel is taking on bunkers.
5
A hazard on a golf course consisting of a sand-filled hollow.
6
An obstacle used to block an opposing player's view and field of fire.
7
UKA large bin or container for storing coal, often built outdoors in the yard of a house.
There used to be a coal bunker at the back of the house - it was demolished years ago.
8
ScotlandA sort of box or chest, as in a window, the lid of which serves as a seat.
9
IndiaUKslangOne who bunks off; a truant from school.
10
USThe menhaden, any of several species of fish in the genera Brevoortia and Ethmidium.

verb

1
To load (a vessel) with coal or fuel oil for the engine.
2
To take a load of coal or fuel oil for its engine.
3
To steal bunker fuel by illicitly siphoning it off.
4
To hit (a golf ball) into a bunker; (chiefly passive voice) to place (a golfer) in the position of having a golf ball in a bunker.
5
UKinformalTo place (someone) in a position that is difficult to get out of; to hinder.
6
To fire constantly at (an opponent hiding behind an obstacle), trapping them and preventing them from firing at other players; also, to eliminate (an opponent behind an obstacle) by rushing to the position and firing at extremely close range as the player becomes exposed.
7
Often followed by down: to take shelter in a bunker or other place.