The spelling of the word "blonde" can be confusing, as it can be spelled with or without the "e" at the end. However, the spelling with the "e" is considered the correct spelling for females, while the spelling without the "e" is used for male subjects or as an adjective. The phonetic transcription of this word using IPA is /blɒnd/ for the masculine form and /blɒndə/ for the feminine form. Regardless of the spelling, the pronunciation remains the same.
Blonde is an adjective used to describe a person, especially a woman or girl, who has fair or light-colored hair that is typically a shade of yellow, gold, or pale brown. The term "blonde" is specifically associated with hair color and is sometimes interchangeably spelled as "blond," although "blonde" is more commonly used to refer to women, while "blond" is often used for men.
The word originated from the Old French word "blond," which meant "fair-haired" or "light-colored," referring to the natural color of hair. It is related to the Latin word "blundus" and the Old English word "blondenfea," both of which also mean "golden" or "light-colored." Blonde hair is often associated with traits such as youthfulness, attractiveness, and beauty, and it is frequently seen as a desirable hair color.
Blonde can also be used as a noun to refer to someone with fair or light hair. It is worth noting that in this context, "blonde" is typically used to describe women, while "blond" is more commonly used to describe men. Additionally, the term may be used metaphorically or in a descriptive sense to describe objects, landscapes, or animals that have a similar light or golden color.
A fair woman, opposed to brunette; a kind of silk lace.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word blonde originates from the French language. It comes from the French word blond, which means light-colored. In French, the adjective blond is used to describe both males and females with light hair color, while blonde is specifically used to refer to a female with light hair. The term blond itself has its roots in Old French and ultimately derives from the Late Latin word blundus, meaning yellow.