dunk

/dʌŋk/

//dʌŋk// verb

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

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

The verdict

“dunk” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,112 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#14,112
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To submerge briefly in a liquid.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

dunk vs duo
50% similar
dunk vs dup
50% similar
dunk vs dur
50% similar

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

Key facts for dunk
PropertyValue
Headworddunk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/dʌŋk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#14,112
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “dunk” 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). dunk 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 dunk is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /dʌŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,112 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 dunk, with forms such as "ddunk", "dnuk", and "dukn". 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", "dup", "dur", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic *þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to moisten, we… The correct English form is dunk, spelled D-U-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To submerge briefly in a liquid.
  2. 2
    To set down carelessly.
  3. 3
    To put the ball directly downward through the hoop while grabbing onto the rim with power.
  4. 4
    To put down on social media [with on].

Etymology

From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic *þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to moisten, wet”). Cognate with German tunken (“to dunk”), Latin tingō (“to wet, moisten”), Ancient Greek τέγγω (téngō, “to wet, moisten”). Related to taint, tincture, tint.

This word in other languages

chapuzar(Español)tunken(Deutsch)enterrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ddunk,dnuk,dukn,dunkk,dunnk,udnk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of dunk - 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.

ddunk1dnuk2dukn2dunkk1dunnk1udnk2
Edit distance from "dunk"

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 "dunk"?
"dunk" is spelled D-U-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /dʌŋk/.
What does "dunk" mean?
As a verb, "dunk" means: To submerge briefly in a liquid.
What words are commonly confused with "dunk"?
"dunk" is commonly confused with "duo", "dup", "dur". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "dunk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "dunk" is /dʌŋk/. 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 "dunk"?
From Pennsylvania German dunke, from Middle High German dunken, from Old High German dunkōn (“to dip, submerge, dunk”), from Proto-West Germanic *þunkōn (“to make wet”), possibly from Proto-Germanic *þunkōną, from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to m... 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 “dunk”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is D-U-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /dʌŋk/ (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. dunk 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