dandruff
/ˈdændɹəf/noun, verb
dandruff is spelled D-A-N-D-R-U-F-F: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dandruff means “scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp; Pityriasis capitis” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dandruff is dandruffs.
How many letters and syllables are in dandruff?
| Letters | 8: D-A-N-D-R-U-F-F |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is dandruff?
Dandruff appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th 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 dandruff?
- UK /ˈdændɹʌf/
- UK /ˈdændɹʊf/
- US /ˈdændɹəf/
Dandruff has 2 syllables (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-dandruff.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dandruff
- dandruffs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- dandruffing participle, present
- dandruffed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dandruff mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
scaly white dead skin flakes from the human scalp; Pityriasis capitis
Dandruff is on my collar again.
verb
- 1
To fall or cover with white flakes, like dandruff.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dandruff in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense dead skin flakes:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pellicules |
| German | Kopfschuppen, Schuppen, Hautschuppe, Schorf, Schmelzflocken |
| Portuguese | caspa |
| Spanish | caspa |
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 dandruff come from?
The word is first attested in 1545; the first element is obscure, but compare dander. The second element derives from a Northumbrian or East Anglian Middle English hurf (“scab”), from Old Norse hrufa. Compare Dutch roof, Luxembourgish Roff. Related with Proto-Germanic *hreubaz, *hreufaz (“rough, scabby”), source of Old English hrēofla (“leprosy, leper”). More at reef (etymology 3).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).