baffle

baf·fle/ˈbæf(ə)l/verb, noun

baffle is spelled B-A-F-F-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (baf·fle). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, baffle means “To confuse or perplex (someone) completely; to bewilder, to confound, to puzzle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in baffle?

Letters	6: B-A-F-F-L-E
Syllables	2: baf·fle
In writing	about once in every 2 million words; the 40,703rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searched	none measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is baffle?

Baffle appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 40,703rd most frequent word form in the list.

baffle0.0010.010.11101001,00010,000

rarerper million words of written Englishmore common

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce baffle?

UK /ˈbæfl̩/
US /ˈbæf(ə)l/

Baffle has 2 syllables, split baf·fle in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-baffle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of baffle

baffles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
baffling participle, present
baffled participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
baffol
bafful

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does baffle mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

1
To confuse or perplex (someone) completely; to bewilder, to confound, to puzzle.
I am baffled by the contradictions and omissions in the instructions.
2
archaicTo defeat, frustrate, or thwart (someone or their efforts, plans, etc.); to confound, to foil.
3
archaicOf weather or wind: to hinder or prevent (a ship or its crew) from advancing.
4
To dampen, muffle, restrain, or otherwise control (a fluid, or waves travelling through a fluid such as light or sound).
5
obsoleteTo deceive or hoodwink (someone); to gull.
6
obsoleteFollowed by away or out: to deprive of (something) through cheating or manipulation; also (followed by out of), to deprive of something by cheating or manipulating (someone).
7
To expend effort or struggle in vain.
The ship, baffling with the winds, moved not an inch.
8
obsoleteTo argue or complain in a petty or trivial manner; to quibble.
9
obsoleteTo publicly disgrace (someone); specifically, a recreant knight.
10
obsoleteTo treat (someone) with contempt; to disgrace; also, to speak of (someone or something) in contemptuous terms; to speak ill of, to vilify.

noun

1
A device used to dampen, muffle, restrain, or otherwise control the movement of a fluid, or waves travelling through a fluid such as light or sound; specifically, a surface positioned inside an open area to inhibit direct motion from one place to another without preventing motion altogether.
Tanker trucks use baffles to keep the liquids inside from sloshing around.
2
USA lever for operating the throttle valve of a winding engine.
3
A device to prevent the spreading of sound or light.
sound baffle
4
A barrier designed to obstruct and confuse enemies, rendering them vulnerable.
5
obsoleteAn argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint; a quibble.
6
obsoleteIntentional insult; affront; also, disgrace; (countable) an instance of this.