carol
car·ol/ˈkɛɹəl/noun, verb
carol is spelled C-A-R-O-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables (car·ol). It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Carol, the name). As a noun, carol means “A round dance accompanied by singing” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of carol is carols.
How many letters and syllables are in carol?
| Letters | 5: C-A-R-O-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: car·ol |
| In writing | 10 times per million words; the 6,884th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| 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 carol?
Carol appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Carol, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce carol?
- /ˈkæɹəl/
- US /ˈkɛɹəl/
Carol has 2 syllables, split car·ol in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-carol.wav, En-au-carol.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with carol
Sounds like: carrel (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: caroling, carrel, carroll.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with carol?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as carol from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹəl/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: coral.
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 carol
- carols plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- carrol
- carroll
- carrel
- caroling US, participle, present
- carolling UK, participle, present
- caroled US, participle, past
- carolled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does carol mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A round dance accompanied by singing.
- 2
A ballad or song of joy.
- 3
A (usually traditional) religious or secular song sung at Christmastime.
They sang a Christmas carol.
- 4
obsoleteA small closet or enclosure built against the inner side of a window of a monastery's cloister, to sit in for study.
verb
- 1
To participate in a carol (a round dance accompanied by singing).
- 2
To sing in a joyful manner.
The sun shone, and the birds were caroling.
- 3
To sing carols; especially to sing Christmas carols in a group.
- 4
To praise or celebrate in song.
- 5
To sing (a song) cheerfully.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Carol in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | carole , chœur |
| Spanish | villancico , aleluya |
| German | Weihnachtslied |
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 carol come from?
The noun is derived from Middle English carole (“round dance with singing; group of people dancing and singing in a circle; song by carollers, carol; religious poem or song; circular thing; braid, chain (?); stall for study or writing; writing table”), from Old French carole (“round dance with singing”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).