dub

/dʌb/

//dʌb// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"dub" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dub” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,228 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,228
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To confer knighthood; the conclusion of the ceremony was marked by a tap on the shoulder with a sword, the accolade.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

dub vs dw
33% similar
dub vs Dx
0% similar
dub vs DV
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for dub
PropertyValue
Headworddub
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dʌb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#12,228
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dub” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). dub lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for dub is 3 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dʌb/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,228 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for dub, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "dw", "Dx", "DV", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dubben, from Old English dubbian (“to knight by striking with a sword, dub”) from Old French adober (“to equip with arms; adorn”) (also 11th century, Modern French adouber), both from Proto-West Germanic *dubbōn, from Proto-Germanic *dub… The correct English form is dub, spelled D-U-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    To confer knighthood; the conclusion of the ceremony was marked by a tap on the shoulder with a sword, the accolade.
  2. 2
    To name, to entitle, to call.
  3. 3
    To deem.
  4. 4
    To clothe or invest; to ornament; to adorn.
  5. 5
    To strike, rub, or dress smooth; to dab.
  6. 6
    To strike, rub, or dress smooth; to dab.
  7. 7
    To strike, rub, or dress smooth; to dab.
  8. 8
    To strike, rub, or dress smooth; to dab.
  9. 9
    To prepare (a gamecock) for fighting, by trimming the hackles and cutting off the comb and wattles.

Etymology

From Middle English dubben, from Old English dubbian (“to knight by striking with a sword, dub”) from Old French adober (“to equip with arms; adorn”) (also 11th century, Modern French adouber), both from Proto-West Germanic *dubbōn, from Proto-Germanic *dub- (“to hit, strike”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewbʰ- (“plug, peg, wedge”). Cognate with Icelandic dubba (in dubba til riddara). Compare also drub for an English reflex of the Germanic word.

This word in other languages

apodar(Español)adouber(Français)nennen(Deutsch)chamar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "dub"?
"dub" is spelled D-U-B. The IPA pronunciation is /dʌb/.
What does "dub" mean?
As a verb, "dub" means: To confer knighthood; the conclusion of the ceremony was marked by a tap on the shoulder with a sword, the accolade.
What words are commonly confused with "dub"?
"dub" is commonly confused with "dw", "Dx", "DV". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dub"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dub" is /dʌb/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "dub"?
From Middle English dubben, from Old English dubbian (“to knight by striking with a sword, dub”) from Old French adober (“to equip with arms; adorn”) (also 11th century, Modern French adouber), both from Proto-West Germanic *dubbōn, from Proto-Ger... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “dub”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʌb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “dw” - see the side-by-side comparison. dub vs dw
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list