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PlainSpell

dwarf

/dwɔɹf/noun, adjective, verb

dwarf is spelled D-W-A-R-F: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 5.6 times per million words in written English, the 10,358th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dwarf means “Any member of a race of beings from (especially Scandinavian and other Germanic) folklore, usually depicted as having some sort of supernatural…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dwarf is dwarfs or dwarves.

How many letters and syllables are in dwarf?

Letters5: D-W-A-R-F
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing5.6 times per million words; the 10,358th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is dwarf?

Dwarf appears 5.6 times per million words in written English, the 10,358th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce dwarf?

  • US /dwɔɹf/
  • UK /dwɔːf/

Dwarf has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-dwarf.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with dwarf?

4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dwarf from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹf/):

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of dwarf

  • dwarfs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • dwarves plural
  • dwarfer comparative
  • dwarfest superlative
  • dwarfing participle, present
  • dwarfed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does dwarf mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    Any member of a race of beings from (especially Scandinavian and other Germanic) folklore, usually depicted as having some sort of supernatural powers and being skilled in crafting and metalworking, often as short with long beards, and sometimes as clashing with elves.

  2. 2

    offensiveA person of short stature, often one whose limbs are disproportionately small in relation to the body as compared with typical adults, usually as the result of a genetic condition.

  3. 3

    An animal, plant or other thing much smaller than the usual of its sort.

    dwarf tree

  4. 4

    A dwarf star.

adjective

  1. 1

    Miniature.

    The specimen is a very dwarf form of the plant.

verb

  1. 1

    To render (much) smaller, turn into a dwarf (version).

  2. 2

    To make appear (much) smaller, puny, tiny; to be much larger than.

    The newly-built skyscraper dwarfs all older buildings in the downtown skyline.

  3. 3

    To make appear insignificant.

    Bach dwarfs all other composers.

  4. 4

    To become (much) smaller.

  5. 5

    To hinder from growing to the natural size; to make or keep small; to stunt.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Dwarf in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchnain, naine (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling…), nanifier, naniser, rapetisser (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf), écraser (to make appear much smaller)
GermanZwerg, Zwergin (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling…), Zwerg-, zwergenhaft (miniature), in den Schatten stellen (to make appear insignificant), schrumpfen (to become (much) smaller)
Portugueseanão (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling…), sobrepujar (to make appear much smaller), nanico (miniature), anã (small person)
Spanishenano (a being from folklore, underground-dwelling…), enanizar (to render smaller, turn into a dwarf), hacer parecer pequeño (muy) (to make appear much smaller), enanizarse (to become (much) smaller), estrella enana, enana (astronomy: relatively small star)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does dwarf come from?

From Middle English dwergh, dwerw, dwerf, from Old English dweorg, from Proto-West Germanic *dwerg, from Proto-Germanic *dwergaz.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after dwarf