addle
/ˈæ.dəl/adjective, verb, noun
addle is spelled A-D-D-L-E: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 20 million words in written English, the 136,649th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, addle means “Having lost the power of development, and become rotten; putrid” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in addle?
| Letters | 5: A-D-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 20 million words; the 136,649th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is addle?
Addle appears about once in every 20 million words in written English, the 136,649th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce addle?
- /ˈæ.dəl/
Addle has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-addle.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-addle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of addle
- more addle comparative
- most addle superlative
- addles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- addling participle, present
- addled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does addle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Having lost the power of development, and become rotten; putrid.
addle eggs
- 2
Unfruitful or confused; muddled.
addle brains
verb
- 1
To make or become addled; to muddle or confuse.
to addle someone's brain
- 2
To cause fertilised eggs to lose viability, by killing the developing embryo within through shaking, piercing, freezing or oiling, without breaking the shell.
- 3
To earn, earn by labor; earn money or one's living.
- 4
To thrive or grow; to ripen.
noun
- 1
An unwise or intellectually impaired person.
- 2
obsoleteLiquid filth; mire.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Addle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | verwelkt, verrottet , verwirrt, durcheinander |
| Spanish | confundir, enturbiar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does addle come from?
From Middle English adel (“rotten”), from Old English adel, adela (“mire, pool, liquid excrement”), from Proto-West Germanic *adal, from Proto-Germanic *adalaz, *adalô (“cattle urine, liquid manure”). Akin to Scots adill, North Frisian ethel (“urine”), Saterland Frisian adel (“dung”), Middle Low German adele (“mud, liquid manure”) (Dutch aal (“liquid manure”)), Old Swedish adel (“urine”), Danish ajle (“liquid manure”), Bavarian Adel (“liquid manure”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).