A dulcimer is a stringedhaving strings that produce sound when played musical instrument. The word is used for two related instruments: one played in American folk music with strings and fretsraised metal strips on a neck that change pitch, and another with strings that are struckhit or tapped to make sound with small hammers.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈdʌlsəmɚ/
Easy pronunciation: DUL-suh-mer (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the first syllable: DUL.
This is the folk instrument sense, not the struck zither sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Dulcimer Meaning
a folk instrument with strings and frets
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A stringed instrument used in American folk music, with an elliptical body, a fretted fingerboard, and three strings.
Example: She learned to play the dulcimer at a mountain music festival.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Dulcimer
Meaning 2
a hammered string instrument
Part of speech: noun
Definition: A trapezoidal zither whose metal strings are struck with light hammers.
Example: The musician played a hammered dulcimer during the concert.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use dulcimer to mean any string instrument, but it refers to specific instruments.
- The two main dulcimer senses are related but not interchangeable.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dulcimer mean?
A dulcimer is a stringed musical instrument. It can refer either to a folk instrument with a fretted fingerboard or to a hammered zither with metal strings.
What are the synonyms of dulcimer?
There are no strong everyday synonyms for dulcimer in the supplied data. It is usually better described than replaced with another word.
Is dulcimer the same as a zither?
Not exactly. One sense of dulcimer is a type of zither, but the word also refers to a different American folk instrument.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-20. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.