burgle

/ˈbɜːɡl̩/

//ˈbɜːɡl̩// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"burgle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“burgle” is uncommon English (frequency #93,508 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#93,508
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To commit burglary.

Corpus desk

Index EN-burgle · burgle · English

burgle · rank #93,508 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #93,508
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH calendula

Nearest frequency peer: calendula (+4 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “burgle”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “burgle” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for burgle
PropertyValue
Headwordburgle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbɜːɡl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#93,508
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “burgle” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).burglefalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “calendula” (#93,512), “Brookland” (#93,502), “Bronwen” (#93,501). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “burgle” is #93,508. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

burgle is uncommon English at frequency #93,508 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈbɜːɡl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for burgle in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from burglar (1867). The correct English form is burgle, spelled B-U-R-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To commit burglary.
  2. 2
    To take the ball legally from an opposing player.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how burgle appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. In St. Louis, burglars burgle by daylight
  2. The New York World has coined a new verb -- "to burgle."

Etymology

Back-formation from burglar (1867).

This word in other languages

hurtar(Español)cambrioler(Français)einbrechen(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "burgle"?
"burgle" is spelled B-U-R-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɜːɡl̩/.
What does "burgle" mean?
As a verb, "burgle" means: To commit burglary.
How do you pronounce "burgle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "burgle" is /ˈbɜːɡl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "burgle"?
Back-formation from burglar (1867). See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "burgle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

braise#93,492boffin#93,481Chirag#93,541Ciampa#93,547

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list