chirp
/t͡ʃɚp/noun, verb
chirp is spelled C-H-I-R-P: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, chirp means “A short, sharp or high note or noise, as of a bird or insect” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of chirp is chirps.
How many letters and syllables are in chirp?
| Letters | 5: C-H-I-R-P |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 37,459th 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 chirp?
Chirp appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 37,459th 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 chirp?
- UK /t͡ʃɜːp/
- US /t͡ʃɚp/
- Australia /t͡ʃɘːp/
Chirp has one syllable (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-chirp.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of chirp
- chirps plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- chirping participle, present
- chirped participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does chirp mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A short, sharp or high note or noise, as of a bird or insect.
- 2
A pulse of signal whose frequency sweeps through a band of frequencies for the duration of the pulse; the quality of having a such a variation in frequency.
verb
- 1
To make a short, sharp, cheerful note, as of small birds or crickets; to chitter; to twitter.
- 2
To speak in a high-pitched staccato.
- 3
To modify (a pulse of signal) so that it sweeps through a band of frequencies throughout its duration.
- 4
obsoleteTo cheer up; to make (someone) happier.
- 5
CanadaTo speak rapid insulting comical banter back and forth; to bicker or argue.
- 6
UKobsoleteslangTo inform on someone; snitch.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Chirp in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | pépiement, piaillement, gazouiller, piailler , stridulation, craquètement |
| German | Pfeifen, zwitschern, tschilpen, tirilieren , Zirpen, zirpen |
| Portuguese | pio, gorjeio, trinado, chilro, piar , cricrilar |
| Spanish | trino, trinar, piar, chiar, piular , chirrido |
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 chirp come from?
From Middle English *chirpen (attested only in the derivative Middle English chirpinge, cyrpynge, chyrypynge (“chirping”). Compare Middle English chirken and chirmen. More at chirk, chirm. Compare also Middle English chirten (“to smack, chirrup”). Compare German zirpen and Dutch tjirpen.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).