How to pronounce dumb in American English

IPA /dʌm/ Syllables 1 · duhm Stress 1st syllable

DUHM

Start here

Americans pronounce dumb as DUHM (/dʌm/). It's 3 sounds in 1 syllable. Short, clean, and front-of-mouth — every sound earns its place.

Now you try.

Record yourself saying "dumb" and play it back. The mic stays on your device — nothing's uploaded.

Ready when you are

Tap the mic to start

Preview your accent profile

Get your accent profile and 5-axes assessment.

Sounds

75%

Clarity

68%

Stress

78%

Intonation

65%

Fluency

62%

Overall assessment

Our AI coach listens to your recording and grades 5 dimensions of pronunciation — then tells you exactly what to fix next.

72% Noticeable accent

Unlock the full report in the app

Sound by sound

Every sound in "dumb".

1 syllable, 3 sounds. Explore each sound's mouth shape and how it's made.

d/d/

Touch the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. Add vocal cord vibration as you release.

uh/ʌ/

Relax your lips, jaw, and tongue completely. Drop your jaw slightly and keep the tongue neutral.

m/m/

Press your lips together. Air flows through your nose. Vocal cords vibrate.

Find another

Looking for a different word or sentence?

Search the entire library

Press / anywhere to focus the search box.

Questions

Questions people ask about this.

Is the American pronunciation of "dumb" different from British English?

American English uses different vowel shapes, a relaxed retroflex R, and connected-speech tricks like flap-T and glottal-stop T that British Received Pronunciation generally avoids. The respell "DUHM" reflects the casual American form; British dictionaries typically print a citation form with crisper consonants and different vowel choices.