dump

/dʌmp/

//dʌmp// noun

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

"dump" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“dump” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,233 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,233
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A place where waste or garbage is left; a ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.; a disposal site.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dump vs duo
50% similar
dump vs dun
50% similar
dump vs dup
75% similar

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

Key facts for dump
PropertyValue
Headworddump
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/dʌmp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,233
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dump” 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). dump 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 dump is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dʌmp/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,233 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for dump, with forms such as "ddump", "dmup", and "dummp". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "duo", "dun", "dup", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English dumpen, dompen, probably from Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”) (whence Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)), of uncertain origin, possibly imitative of falling, similar to thump. The correct English form is dump, spelled D-U-M-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    A place where waste or garbage is left; a ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.; a disposal site.
  2. 2
    A car or boat for dumping refuse, etc.
  3. 3
    That which is dumped, especially in a chaotic way; a mess.
  4. 4
    That which is dumped, especially in a chaotic way; a mess.
  5. 5
    An act of dumping, or its result.
  6. 6
    A formatted listing of the contents of program storage, especially when produced automatically by a failing program.
  7. 7
    A storage place for supplies, especially military.
  8. 8
    An unpleasant, dirty, disreputable, unfashionable, boring, or depressing looking place.
  9. 9
    An act of defecation; a defecating.
  10. 10
    A sad, gloomy state of the mind; sadness; melancholy; despondency.
  11. 11
    Absence of mind; reverie.
  12. 12
    A pile of ore or rock.
  13. 13
    A melancholy strain or tune in music; any tune.
  14. 14
    An old kind of dance.
  15. 15
    A small coin made by punching a hole in a larger coin (called a holey dollar).
  16. 16
    A temporary display case that holds many copies of an item being sold.

Etymology

From Middle English dumpen, dompen, probably from Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”) (whence Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)), of uncertain origin, possibly imitative of falling, similar to thump.

This word in other languages

basural(Español)décharge(Français)Kippe(Deutsch)aterro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddump,dmup,dummp,dumpp,dupm,udmp

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dump - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ddump1dmup2dummp1dumpp1dupm2udmp2
Edit distance from "dump"

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 "dump"?
"dump" is spelled D-U-M-P. The IPA pronunciation is /dʌmp/.
What does "dump" mean?
As a noun, "dump" means: A place where waste or garbage is left; a ground or place for dumping ashes, refuse, etc.; a disposal site.
What words are commonly confused with "dump"?
"dump" is commonly confused with "duo", "dun", "dup". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dump"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dump" is /dʌmp/. 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 "dump"?
From Middle English dumpen, dompen, probably from Old Norse dumpa (“to thump”) (whence Danish dumpe (“to fall suddenly”)), of uncertain origin, possibly imitative of falling, similar to thump. 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 “dump”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-M-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʌmp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “duo” - see the side-by-side comparison. dump vs duo
  • 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