dance
/dɑːns/noun, verb
dance is spelled D-A-N-C-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 85 times per million words in written English, the 1,251st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dance means “A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dance is dances.
How many letters and syllables are in dance?
| Letters | 5: D-A-N-C-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 85 times per million words; the 1,251st 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 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 dance?
Dance appears 85 times per million words in written English, the 1,251st 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 dance?
- UK /dɑːns/
- /dans/
- [däns ~ dans]
Dance 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-uk-dance.ogg, En-us-dance.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Dev_Jadiya-dance.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with dance?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dance from its last stressed vowel (/ɑns/, British pronunciation):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: caned, decan.
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 dance
- dances plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- dancing participle, present
- danced participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dance mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A sequence of rhythmic steps or movements usually performed to music, for pleasure or as a form of social interaction.
I do a dance when she plays the drums!
- 2
A social gathering where dancing is the main activity.
The dance we had in August 2008 is one of the greatest moments of my life!
- 3
The art, profession, and study of dancing.
- 4
Ellipsis of electronic dance music.
- 5
A piece of music with a particular dance rhythm.
- 6
A battle of wits, especially one commonly fought between two rivals.
So how much longer are we gonna do this dance?
- 7
datedAny strenuous or difficult movement, action, or task.
- 8
A repetitive movement used in communication between worker honey bees.
- 9
A normally horizontal stripe called a fess that has been modified to zig-zag across the center of a coat of arms from dexter to sinister.
verb
- 1
To move with rhythmic steps or movements, especially in time to music.
I danced with her all night long.
- 2
To leap or move lightly and rapidly.
His eyes danced with pleasure as he spoke. She accused her political opponent of dancing around the issue instead of confronting it.
- 3
To perform the steps to.
Have you ever danced the tango?
- 4
To cause to dance, or move nimbly or merrily about.
- 5
To make love or have sex.
You make me feel like dancing.
- 6
To make a repetitive movement in order to communicate to other worker honey bees.
- 7
To kick and convulse from the effects of being hanged.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dance in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | danse , danser |
| German | Tanz , tanzen |
| Portuguese | dança, baile , dançar, bailar |
| Spanish | baile, danza , bailar, danzar |
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 dance come from?
Inherited from Middle English dauncen, borrowed from Anglo-Norman dauncer, from Vulgar Latin *dantiāre, of uncertain origin. Displaced native Old English sealtian, Old English frīcian, and partially displaced Old English hlēapan (“to leap, dance, run”, whence modern leap). Doublet of danza.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).