Skip to main content
PlainSpell

dash

/ˈdæʃ/noun, verb, interjection

dash is spelled D-A-S-H: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,121st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dash means “Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), – (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dash is dashes.

How many letters and syllables are in dash?

Letters4: D-A-S-H
Syllables1
In writing10 times per million words; the 7,121st most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 dash?

Dash appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,121st 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 dash?

  • US /ˈdæʃ/
  • British /ˈdaʃ/
  • /ˈdɛʃ/

Dash has one syllable.

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

What rhymes with dash?

The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dash from its last stressed vowel (/æʃ/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: shad.

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 dash

  • dashes plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • dashing participle, present
  • dashed participle, past

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

What does dash mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    Any of the following symbols: ‒ (figure dash), – (en dash), – (em dash), or ― (horizontal bar).

  2. 2

    A hyphen or minus sign.

  3. 3

    The longer of the two symbols of Morse code.

  4. 4

    A short run, flight.

    When the feds came they did the dash.

  5. 5

    A rushing or violent onset.

  6. 6

    Violent strike; a whack.

  7. 7

    A small quantity of a liquid substance etc.; less than 1/8 of a teaspoon.

    Add a dash of vinegar.

  8. 8

    A slight admixture.

    There is a dash of craziness in his personality.

verb

  1. 1

    To run quickly or for a short distance.

    He dashed across the field.

  2. 2

    informalTo leave or depart.

    I have to dash now. See you soon.

  3. 3

    To destroy by striking (against).

    He dashed the bottle against the bar and turned about to fight.

  4. 4

    To throw violently.

    The man was dashed from the vehicle during the accident.

  5. 5

    To sprinkle; to splatter.

  6. 6

    datedTo mix, reduce, or adulterate, by throwing in something of an inferior quality.

    to dash wine with water

  7. 7

    To ruin; to destroy.

    Her hopes were dashed when she saw the damage.

  8. 8

    To dishearten; to sadden.

    Her thoughts were dashed to melancholy.

interjection

  1. 1

    Damn!

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

Dash in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchtiret (typographic symbol), trait, ta (Morse code symbol), sprint (short run), soupçon (small quantity of liquid etc), se précipiter (to run short distance)
GermanBindestrich, Gedankenstrich, Querstrich (typographic symbol), Strich (Morse code symbol), Spurt, Sprint (short run)
Portuguesetravessão (typographic symbol), traço (Morse code symbol), corridinha (short run), frustrar (to dishearten)
Spanishraya, guion largo (typographic symbol), carrerita (short run), chin, ostugo (small quantity of liquid etc), lanzarse (to run short distance)

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 dash come from?

From Middle English daschen, dassen, from Danish daske (“to slap, strike”), related to Swedish daska (“to smack, slap, spank”), of obscure origin. Compare German tatschen (“to grope, paw”), Old English dwǣsċan (“to quell, put out, destroy, extinguish”). See also dush.

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

What to look up after dash