Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

a dime a dozen

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.58 in modern English

Syllables: a dime a -dozen
IPA

24

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

So common as to be practically or almost worthless.

Australian usage; American usage

adj

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see a, dime, a, dozen: sold at twelve (12) units per dime (10¢).

Example Sentences

"Near-synonyms: not worth a dime; see also Thesaurus:worthless"
"People with your skills are a dime a dozen these days."

Etymology

With literal origins; now usually in the figuratively extended sense.

Usage

Australian usage
American usage

Phrases

dime store five-and-dime buyer's market

Frequently Paired Words

dime store five-and-dime buyer's market dime-a-dozen

Synonyms

ten a penny average basic bog-standard common common as bums common as dirt common as muck common as pig tracks dime a dozen everyday frequent

Questions

What does a dime a dozen mean?: So common as to be practically or almost worthless.
Where does a dime a dozen come from?: With literal origins; now usually in the figuratively extended sense.

How to pronounce a dime a dozen

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “a dime a dozen”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “a dime a dozen”.
Repeat and practice — Say “a dime a dozen” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.