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PlainSpell

battle

bat·tle/ˈbætl̩/noun, verb, adjective

battle is spelled B-A-T-T-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (bat·tle). It appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, battle means “A contest, a struggle” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of battle is battles.

How many letters and syllables are in battle?

Letters6: B-A-T-T-L-E
Syllables2: bat·tle
In writing87 times per million words; the 1,223rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Rhymes with
Same letters

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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.

How common is battle?

Battle appears 87 times per million words in written English, the 1,223rd 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 battle?

  • UK /ˈbætl̩/
  • UK [ˈbatʰɫ̩]
  • US /ˈbætl̩/

Battle has 2 syllables, split bat·tle in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-battle.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-battle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with battle?

2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as battle from its last stressed vowel (/ætl/):

Spelled with the same letters in another order: tablet, battel.

Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).

Forms of battle

  • battles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • batail
  • battel
  • battell
  • battling participle, present
  • battled participle, past
  • more battle comparative
  • most battle superlative
  • battil
  • battill
  • baittle
  • bettle
  • batwell

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

What does battle mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A contest, a struggle.

    the battle of life

  2. 2

    A one-on-one competition in rapping or breakdance.

  3. 3

    A general action, fight, or encounter, in which all the divisions of an army are or may be engaged; a combat, an engagement.

  4. 4

    archaicA division of an army; a battalion.

  5. 5

    obsoleteThe main body of an army, as distinct from the vanguard and rear; the battalia.

    hovering aloofe in the fields he suffered Wyat his Van and main Battell (cutting off some of the Reare) to march undisturbed save with one shot, from Knights-Bridge to Charing Chrosse.

  6. 6

    Clipping of battle buddy.

verb

  1. 1

    To join in battle; to contend in fight

    Scientists always battle over theories.

  2. 2

    To fight or struggle; to enter into a battle with.

    She has been battling cancer for years.

  3. 3

    ScotlandUKTo feed or nourish (someone or something).

  4. 4

    ScotlandUKTo render (land, soil, etc.) fertile or fruitful.

adjective

  1. 1

    Of grass or pasture: nutritious to cattle or sheep; fattening, nourishing.

    battle grass    battle pasture

  2. 2

    Of land (originally pastureland) or soil: fertile, fruitful.

    battle land    battle soil

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

Battle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchlutte, bataille (general action, fight, or encounter; a combat), lutter ((intransitive) to join in battle; to contend in…)
GermanSchlacht, Kampf, Gefecht (general action, fight, or encounter; a combat), kämpfen ((intransitive) to join in battle; to contend in…), bekämpfen, bekriegen ((transitive) to assail in battle; to fight)
Portuguesebatalha (general action, fight, or encounter; a combat), batalhar ((intransitive) to join in battle; to contend in…), luta (struggle; a contest; as, the battle of life)
Spanishbatalla, lucha (general action, fight, or encounter; a combat), luchar, batallar ((intransitive) to join in battle; to contend in…), batallar contra ((transitive) to assail in battle; to fight)

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 battle come from?

From Middle English batel, batell, batelle, batayle, bataylle, borrowed from Old French bataille, from Late Latin battālia, variant of battuālia (“fighting and fencing exercises”) from Latin battuō (“to strike, hit, beat, fight”), of uncertain origin. Possibly from a Gaulish or Proto-Germanic root from Proto-Indo-European *bʰedʰ- (“to stab, dig”), related to Old English beado (“battle”); or possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Doublet of battalia and battel. Displaced native Old English ġefeoht, beado, camp, and wīg (“battle”), among others.

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

What to look up after battle