duet

American  

[doo-et, dyoo-] / duˈɛt, dju- /

noun

duets plural

1. a musical composition for two voices or instruments.

---

duet British  

/ djuːˈɛt /

noun

1. Also called (esp for instrumental compositions): duo.  a musical composition for two performers or voices

2. an action or activity performed by a pair of closely connected individuals

---

verb

1. (intr) to perform a duet

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• duettist
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• duets
  plural

Etymology

Origin of duet

1730–40; earlier duett < Italian duetto, equivalent to du ( o ) duet + -etto -et

Compare meaning

How does duet compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• duo vs. duet

Explanation

A duet is two people singing or playing musical instruments together. You and your brother might be a popular sidewalk duet with your fiddle-accordion combo. If you have tickets for a musical duet, you'll be watching and listening to two performers. You can also call the composition that's written for the two of them a duet, since it has parts for two instruments. Two dancers can also perform a duet, a dance especially choreographed for a couple. Duet stems from the Italian duetto, "musical composition for two voices," from duo, or "two."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

duet duets

The duet was released in June last year as a remix of Fender's solo album track.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

In case you don’t make it to the end, “Along the Way” is a duet between Laga’aia’s sunny new Moana and her predecessor, Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced the original character.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

This is especially clear in standout moments like “The Test,” a duet with her daughter, Lola Leon, and one of the most important songs of Madonna’s entire career.

From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026

And it was delightful to see him exchange quirky misfit sparks with Salonga during their duet of “Suddenly Seymour,” one of the rare moments when the singers were allowed to join forces.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

They say it again, their voices a duet of accusation in my head.

From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson

This last meant not just physical security and strength but harmonious coordination with his ballerina in ways that enriched the choreographic impact of both in their duets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026

R&B singer Peabo Bryson, well known for his duets from beloved Disney classics ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ suffered a stroke, according to his representatives.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026

In the early 1980s Mr. McCartney worked on duets with Michael Jackson and, in a spirit of generosity, told him that the real money was in publishing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 20, 2026

Her duets album, The Secret of Life, is nominated for best traditional pop album - a category she has lost 13 times since it was introduced in 1992.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2026

For Wagner, nothing was allowed to distract from the unfolding musical story and he would happily intertwine chorus, solo, duets, instrumental interludes so that you could hardly tell when one ended and another began.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• duo