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” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,112. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,112
frequency rank, English
3,470
“D” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To submerge briefly in a liquid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-dunk · dunk · English

dunk · rank #14,112 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,112
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH dryer

Nearest frequency peer: dryer (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “dunk”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “dunk” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around dunk (IPA /dʌŋk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #14,112 among 3,470 “D” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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].

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how dunk appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I like to dunk my donut in my apple cider.
  2. Parents shouldn't just dunk their kids in front of the TV.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "dunk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

clap#14,088casa#14,082Cain#14,081Lara#14,155

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

dolly6 variantsbuffet6 variantsBowie6 variantsAriel6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "dunk". Here's where to go from here.

  • "dunk" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "duo". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #14,112 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "D" letter cohort. D–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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