Dull is an adjective describing something lacking brightness, interest, or sharpness. It often refers to surfaces that aren’t shiny, colors that aren’t vivid, or events lacking excitement. In speech, it can describe tones or emotions that are flat or monotonous, signaling little variation or stimulation.
US: /dʌl/ with a short, relaxed /ʌ/; rhoticity doesn't affect this word. UK: /dʌl/ but may show slightly more precise vowel quality and crisper /l/. AU: /dʌl/ with possibly a slightly wider jaw opening and a more relaxed tongue. Across accents, the main difference is vowel quality and how crisp the /l/ is. IPA references: US /dʌl/, UK /dʌl/, AU /dʌl/—keep /ʌ/ centralized, avoid /a/ or /ɔ/; finish with a precise, light /l/.
"The steel surface is dull and needs polishing."
"Her presentation was dull, with little energy or engaging ideas."
"The color of the walls became dull after years of sun exposure."
"He spoke in a dull, flat voice that bored the audience."
Dull traces to Old English dol, dol(e) meaning foolish, stupid, or slowed, from Proto-Germanic dolaz. The sense evolved to describe lack of brightness or sharpness, extending metaphorically to dull colors, dull knives, and dull sounds. In Middle English, dol(e) carried nuances of being inactive or sluggish. By Early Modern English, dull described not only physical lack of brightness but also mental or perceptual dullness—lack of quickness, sharpness, or wit. The term solidified as a general negative descriptor across senses: surface, color, sound, or intellect. Throughout its development, the core idea remained the absence of brilliance, acuity, or interest. First attested senses in Old English texts appear around the 9th century, with language evolution following Germanic branches, then broader adoption into West Germanic dialects and eventually standard English usage. In contemporary English, dull is versatile, used adjectivally for physical properties (dull blade, dull color) and figurative meanings (dull ache, dull routine, dull performance). With modern usage, the word conveys lack of luster and stimulation across contexts, from tangible materials to abstract experiences. Historically, shifts in spelling and pronunciation were minor, with modern forms stabilizing in the last few centuries, retaining both the blunt physical sense and the metaphorical sense of monotony or deficiency.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Dull" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Dull"
-ull sounds
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Dull is pronounced with a single syllable: /dʌl/. Start with a short, back-central vowel like 'uh' (as in 'cup'), then close with a light, dark 'l' at the end. The mouth should stay relatively relaxed, with the tongue positioned mid-low for the /ʌ/ and the tip or blade touching the alveolar ridge for the /l/. There’s no significant consonant cluster—just a quick, smooth transition from /d/ to /ʌ/ to /l/. If you’re listening, you’ll hear a short, rounded-off, almost stabbing closing sound rather than a drawn-out vowel.
Two main errors: (1) pronouncing it with a long or tense vowel as in 'dull' as /duːl/ or /dɜːl/, which fails to capture the short /ʌ/ sound. (2) misarticulating the final /l/ as a dark l with extra vocalization, producing a lilt or 'pull' effect. To correct, keep the vowel short: /dʌl/. Relax the jaw, ensure the tongue sits mid-low for /ʌ/, and lightly touch the tongue tip to the alveolar ridge for the /l/. Finish with a crisp, terminal /l/ without an added vowel sound after it.
US: /dʌl/ with a short, lax /ʌ/; rhotic and non-rhotic influence is minimal in this word. UK: /dʌl/ as well, but may have a slightly more rounded or shorter /ʌ/ depending on regional variation; non-rhotic accents won’t add an /r/ ending. AU: generally /dʌl/ with similarly short /ʌ/; Australians may have a very slightly more centralized or relaxed vowel and a more pronounced final consonant latch of /l/. Overall, vowel quality is the main difference, not the consonant.
The challenge lies in producing the concise, single-syllable shape with a short, lax /ʌ/ and a clean, light /l/. Many speakers overextend the vowel to /ɔ/ or /a/, or turn the /l/ into a vocalized sound. The trick is a quick, precise tongue tip contact at the alveolar ridge and precise timing to avoid adding a vowel after /l/. Also, some learners drop the final /l/ or replace it with a vowel, which softens or lengthens the word undesirably.
Dull is a one-syllable word with primary stress on the single syllable, so there’s no stress variation within the word itself. There are no silent letters in this instance. The main pronunciation consideration is the crisp /d/ onset, short /ʌ/ vowel, and the clearly enunciated final /l/. The lack of a silent letter makes it straightforward, but many learners still stumble on the short vowel quality and the final liquid consonant.
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