dumbstruck

Name: dumbstruck, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/

//ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“dumbstruck” is an uncommon English word, ranked #76,736 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#76,736
frequency rank, English: 10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - So shocked as to be unable to speak.

Key facts for dumbstruck
Property	Value
Headword	dumbstruck
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#76,736
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dumbstruck” 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). dumbstruck lands here:

#76,736

#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 dumbstruck is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/. Corpus data places it at rank #76,736 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "So shocked as to be unable to speak.".

dumbstruck has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From dumb + struck. Comapare strike dumb. The correct English form is dumbstruck, spelled D-U-M-B-S-T-R-U-C-K.

Definition

1
So shocked as to be unable to speak.

Etymology

From dumb + struck. Comapare strike dumb.

Synonyms

dumbfounded

This word in other languages

sprachlos(Deutsch)

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 "dumbstruck"?

"dumbstruck" is spelled D-U-M-B-S-T-R-U-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/.

What does "dumbstruck" mean?

As an adjective, "dumbstruck" means: So shocked as to be unable to speak.

How do you pronounce "dumbstruck"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dumbstruck" is /ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/. 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 "dumbstruck"?

From dumb + struck. Comapare strike dumb. 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 “dumbstruck”

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

The one correct English spelling is D-U-M-B-S-T-R-U-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈdʌmˌstɹʌk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
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.