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PlainSpell

debut

/deɪˈbjuː/noun, verb

debut is spelled D-E-B-U-T: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 33 times per million words in written English, the 2,888th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, debut means “A performer's first performance to the public, in sport, the arts or some other area” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of debut is debuts or débuts.

How many letters and syllables are in debut?

Letters5: D-E-B-U-T
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing33 times per million words; the 2,888th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

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 debut?

Debut appears 33 times per million words in written English, the 2,888th 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 debut?

  • UK /ˈdɛbjuː/
  • UK /ˈdeɪbjuː/
  • US /deɪˈbjuː/

Debut 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: En-us-debut.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with debut?

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

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 debut

  • debuts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • début
  • debuting participle, present
  • debuted participle, past
  • débuts plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • débuting participle, present
  • débuted participle, past

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

What does debut mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A performer's first performance to the public, in sport, the arts or some other area.

  2. 2

    The first public presentation of a theatrical play, motion picture, opera, musical composition, dance, or other performing arts piece.

    Since making its debut two years ago, the program has gained cult status.

  3. 3

    The first appearance of a debutante in society.

  4. 4

    The coming-of-age celebration of a woman's eighteenth birthday.

verb

  1. 1

    USTo formally introduce, as to the public.

    Amalgamated Software Systems debuted release 3.2 in Spring of 2004.

  2. 2

    To make one's initial formal appearance.

    Release 3.2 debuted to mixed reviews in Spring of 2004.

noun

as début
  1. 1

    Alternative spelling of debut.

verb

as début
  1. 1

    Alternative spelling of debut.

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

Debut in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchpremière (a performer's first-time performance to the…), présenter, lancer (to formally introduce, as to the public), se lancer (to make one's initial formal appearance)
GermanDebüt (a performer's first-time performance to the…), einführen, vorstellen, veröffentlichen (to formally introduce, as to the public), debütieren (to make one's initial formal appearance)
Portugueselançamento, estreia (a performer's first-time performance to the…), debutar, estreiar (to formally introduce, as to the public), ser lançado (to make one's initial formal appearance)
Spanishdebut, debú (a performer's first-time performance to the…), debutar (to formally introduce, as to the public)

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 debut come from?

Borrowed from French début, from Middle French, derivative of débuter (“to move, begin”), from dé- + but (“mark, goal”), from Old French but (“aim, goal, end, target”), from Old French butte (“mound, knoll, target”), from Frankish *but (“stump, log”), or from Old Norse bútr (“log, stump, butt”); both from Proto-Germanic *butą (“end, piece”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewd- (“to beat, push”). Cognate with Old English butt (“tree stump”). More at butt. The Philippine sense is influenced by Spanish debut.

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

What to look up after debut