entangle
/ɪnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/verb
entangle is spelled E-N-T-A-N-G-L-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, entangle means “To tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in entangle?
| Letters | 8: E-N-T-A-N-G-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 74,980th 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 entangle?
Entangle appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 74,980th 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 entangle?
- UK /ɪnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/
- UK /ɛnˈtaŋ.ɡəl/
- UK [ɛnˈtaŋ.ɡl̩]
Entangle has 3 syllables (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-entangle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of entangle
- entangles present, singular, he/she/it
- entangling participle, present
- entangled participle, past
- entangel
- intangle
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does entangle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To tangle up; to twist or interweave in such a manner as not to be easily separated.
The dolphins became entangled in a fishing net.
- 2
To involve in such complications as to render extrication difficult.
- 3
To ensnare.
- 4
To involve in difficulties or embarrassments; to embarrass, puzzle, or distract by adverse or perplexing circumstances, interests, demands, etc.; to hamper; to bewilder.
The story entangles the facts with value judgments.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Entangle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | intriquer, empêtrer, tortiller |
| German | verwickeln |
| Spanish | enredar , intrincar , enmarañar |
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 entangle come from?
From Middle English entanglen (“to involve [someone] in difficulty”, “to embarrass”). Equivalent to en- + tangle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).