ferrule
fer·rule/ˈfɛɹ.əl/noun, verb
ferrule is spelled F-E-R-R-U-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (fer·rule). It appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 98,107th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, ferrule means “A band or cap (usually metal) placed around a shaft to reinforce it or to prevent splitting” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of ferrule is ferrules.
How many letters and syllables are in ferrule?
| Letters | 7: F-E-R-R-U-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: fer·rule |
| In writing | about once in every 11 million words; the 98,107th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with |
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 ferrule?
Ferrule appears about once in every 11 million words in written English, the 98,107th 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 ferrule?
- UK /ˈfɛɹ.(ə)l/
- UK /-ɹuːl/
- US /ˈfɛɹ.əl/
Ferrule has 2 syllables, split fer·rule in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-ferrule.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with ferrule
Sounds like: feral, ferryl (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with ferrule?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as ferrule from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹəl/):
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 ferrule
- ferrules plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- ferruling participle, present
- ferruled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does ferrule mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A band or cap (usually metal) placed around a shaft to reinforce it or to prevent splitting.
- 2
The metal spike at the end of the shaft of an ice axe.
- 3
A bushing for securing a pipe joint.
- 4
A metal sleeve placed inside a gutter at the top.
- 5
The plastic band attaching the tip to the cue.
- 6
The pinched metal band which holds the bristles of a paintbrush or the eraser of a pencil to the shaft; a similar band crimped as part of a cable terminal or to terminate a hose.
verb
- 1
To equip with a ferrule.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Ferrule in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | Zwinge, Hülse , Halteband |
| Spanish | casquillo, virola, regatón, recatón, contera |
| French | virole |
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 ferrule come from?
From Middle English verel, virel, virole (“ferrule; metal pivot on the end of an axle”), altered under the influence of Latin ferrum (“iron”), from Old French virole (“ferrule”), from Latin viriola (“little bracelet”), diminutive of viria (“bracelet worn by men”), from Gaulish, from Proto-Celtic *weiros (“crooked”) (compare Middle Irish fiar (“bent, crooked”), Welsh gŵyr, Breton gwar (“curved”)), from Proto-Indo-European *weyh₁ros (“threaded, turned, twisted”), from *weyh₁- (“to turn, twist, weave”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).