How to pronounce dust
Say it like DUHST. Dust is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress.
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce dust. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- DUHST
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Dust pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- DUHSTSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "u" in cup.
American vs British pronunciation of dust
American and British speakers say dust in essentially the same way: /dʌst/ in the US and /dʌst/ in the UK.
British respelling: DUHST.
What does dust mean?
- fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air“the furniture was covered with dust”
- the remains of something that has been destroyed or broken up
- free microscopic particles of solid material“astronomers say that the empty space between planets actually contains measurable amounts of dust”
- remove the dust from“dust the cabinets”
- rub the dust over a surface so as to blur the outlines of a shape“The artist dusted the charcoal drawing down to a faint image”
- cover with a light dusting of a substance“dust the bread with flour”
Where does dust come from?
Cognate with Scots dust, dist (“dust”), Dutch duist (“pollen, dust”) and dons (“down, fuzz”), German Dust (“dust”) and Dunst (“haze”), Swedish dust (“dust”), Icelandic dust (“dust”), Latin fūmus (“smoke, steam”).
Words that rhyme with dust
Practicing rhymes is a quick way to lock in the vowel sound of dust.
Questions about saying dust
How do you pronounce dust?
Say DUHST. The American pronunciation is /dʌst/. In British English it is /dʌst/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in dust?
Dust is a single syllable, so the whole word carries the stress. Broken into parts: DUHST.
Do Americans and Brits say dust the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /dʌst/ and the British form is /dʌst/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.