How to pronounce dozen
Say it like DUHZ-un. Dozen has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DUHZ).
- DUHZ
- un
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dozen pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DUHZSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
- unKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of dozen
American and British speakers say dozen in essentially the same way: /ˈdʌzən/ in the US and /ˈdʌzən/ in the UK.
British respelling: DUHZ-un.
What does dozen mean?
- A set of twelve.“Can I have a dozen eggs, please?”
- A large, unspecified number of, comfortably estimated in small multiples of twelve, thus generally implied to be significantly more than ten or twelve, but less than perhaps one or two hundred; many.“There must have been dozens of examples just on the first page.”
- An old English measure of ore containing 12 hundredweight.
Where does dozen come from?
From Middle English dozen, dozein, doseyne, from Old French dozaine (“a group of twelve”) (Modern French douzaine), from doze (“twelve”) + -aine (“-ish”), from Latin duodecim (“twelve”) (from duo (“two”) + decem (“ten”)) + -ana (“-ish”).
Similar and opposite words
Similar meaning
Words that rhyme with dozen
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dozen.
Words that sound like dozen
- doesn't
Questions about saying dozen
How do you pronounce dozen?
Say DUHZ-un. The American pronunciation is /ˈdʌzən/. In British English it is /ˈdʌzən/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dozen?
Dozen has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (DUHZ). Broken into parts: DUHZ · un.
Do Americans and Brits say dozen the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈdʌzən/ and the British form is /ˈdʌzən/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.
What words sound the same as dozen?
Dozen sounds the same as doesn't in American English. The spelling and meaning are what tell them apart.