flail
/fleɪl/noun, verb
flail is spelled F-L-A-I-L: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, flail means “A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of flail is flails.
How many letters and syllables are in flail?
| Letters | 5: F-L-A-I-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 49,949th 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 flail?
Flail appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,949th 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 flail?
- /fleɪl/
- /fɹeɪl/
Flail 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: En-us-flail.ogg, En-au-flail.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of flail
- flails plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- flailing participle, present
- flailed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does flail mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A tool used for threshing, consisting of a long handle (handstock) with a shorter stick (swipple or swingle) attached with a short piece of chain, thong or similar material.
- 2
A weapon which has the (usually spherical) striking part attached to the handle with a flexible joint such as a chain.
- 3
Part of a rotating device, often used for cutting vegetation.
verb
- 1
To beat using a flail or similar implement.
- 2
To wave or swing vigorously
- 3
To thresh.
- 4
To move like a flail.
He was flailing wildly, but didn't land a blow.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Flail in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fléau , fléau d’armes , se débattre , battre, passer à tabac, rosser |
| German | Flegel, Dreschflegel, plegel, pflegel , Streitflegel , wild um sich schlagen |
| Portuguese | mangual, malho , malhar, debulhar, espalhar |
| Spanish | mayal , mayal de armas , sacudirse, agitarse, debatirse , desgranar |
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 flail come from?
From Middle English flayle, from earlier fleil, fleyl, fleȝȝl, from Old English fligel, *flegel (“flail”), from Proto-West Germanic *flagil, of uncertain origin. Cognate with Scots flail (“a thresher's flail”), West Frisian fleil, flaaiel (“flail”), Dutch vlegel (“flail”), German Flegel (“flail”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).