2 syllables: Do, zen. Stress on Do.
DUHZ-uhn
/ˈdʌzən/
Dozen is pronounced DUHZ-uhn (/ˈdʌzən/). It has two syllables (Do-zen), with the stress on "Do". Dozen is a noun meaning a group of twelve. It denotes a standard unit used across contexts, from counting items to informal quantities. In everyday speech, it often appears in phrases like a dozen eggs and a dozen students, carrying implications of approximate quantity and common usage rather than exact precision.
nounDozen is a noun meaning a group of twelve. It denotes a standard unit used across contexts, from counting items to informal quantities. In everyday speech, it often appears in phrases like a dozen eggs and a dozen students, carrying implications of approximate quantity and common usage rather than exact precision.
"She bought a dozen roses for the anniversary."
"The bakery sold a dozen croissants to the busy morning crowd."
"We ordered a dozen cookies to share after the meeting."
Pronounce it as /ˈduːzən/ (US) or /ˈduːzən/ (UK/AU) with the primary stress on the first syllable. The first syllable features a long /uː/ vowel, followed by a voiced alveolar 'z' /z/ and a soft, unstressed second syllable /ən/. For clarity: start with lips rounded, tongue high for /uː/, then release into /z/ and end with a neutral schwa-like /ən/. Audio reference: you can compare to nearby words like “dozen” and “dozing” in standard dictionaries.",
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (pronouncing it as /ˈdozən/ with a shorter first vowel) and shortening the second syllable too much, producing /ˈduːzən/ with excessive length or a clipped end. Another error is pronouncing the first vowel as /ɒ/ or /ɑ/ under influence of non-native patterns. Correct approach: keep the /ˈduː/ or /ˈduz/ onset, follow with a clear /z/ consonant and a light /ən/ end. Practice with minimal pairs like ‘doze’ vs ‘dozen’ to lock in the schwa ending.",
In US English you’ll often hear /ˈduːzən/ with a longer /uː/ in the first syllable and a rhotic 'r' absence, giving a clean /ən/ ending. UK English typically maintains /ˈduːzən/ as well, but you may hear a slightly crisper /z/ and subtler vowel length depending on regional variation. Australian English tends toward /ˈduːzən/ with non-rhotic tendencies, shorter airstream in some speakers, and a marginally softer final /ən/. Across all, the main features are the strong first syllable and a visible /z/ before a light /ən/ tail.
The difficulty lies in the diphthongal realization of the first syllable cause by the /uː/ vowel and the rapid transition to the /z/ consonant, which can blur into /z/ or /dz/ if not careful. Additionally, the final /ən/ can reduce to a schwa in fast speech, reducing clarity. Practicing the long /uː/ vowel, then the precise /z/ release and a light, lax /ən/ is essential. Pay attention to keeping jaw relatively closed for /uː/ and avoiding a trailing /n/ into the next word.
A practical, unique query is whether the word carries any silent elements. Dozen is not silent-spelling; it’s pronounced with all letters spoken in careful, light sequence: the /d/ is silent in some linked speech? No, the /d/ is not silent here—the onset is /d/ in many dialects, but many speakers devoice the final /n/ slightly in rapid speech. The key is the cluster /dz/ before the vowel /ən/, producing a clean progression from /d/ to /z/ without vowel break. Always start with the /d/ sound, then immediately release into the /z/.
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Dozen comes from Middle English douzen, based on the Old French douzaine, itself from douze (“twelve”). The term originally referred to a group of twelve items in trade and measurement systems. Its development reflects medieval and early modern commerce where grouping into twelves simplified counting, pricing, and packaging. The root douze is cognate with the Latin duodecim and the Greek dodeka, both meaning twelve. The word’s first recorded usages appear in the 13th to 14th centuries in English texts dealing with measurement and quantities, and over time it became the standard unit for a dozen across many English-speaking regions and contexts. Today, “dozen” preserves this sense of a canonical, easily communicable quantity, with occasional regional variations in usage such as “baker’s dozen” (13) in some contexts but not universally mandated.
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Words that rhyme with "Dozen"
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