flipper
/ˈflɪpɚ/noun, verb
flipper is spelled F-L-I-P-P-E-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, flipper means “In marine mammals such as whales (or other secondarily aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of flipper is flippers.
How many letters and syllables are in flipper?
| Letters | 7: F-L-I-P-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,998th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is flipper?
Flipper appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th 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 flipper?
- UK /ˈflɪpə/
- US /ˈflɪpɚ/
Flipper has 2 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: En-au-flipper.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with flipper?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as flipper from its last stressed vowel (/ɪpəɹ/):
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 flipper
- flippers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- flippering participle, present
- flippered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does flipper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
In marine mammals such as whales (or other secondarily aquatic animals such as sea turtles), a wide, flat limb adapted for swimming.
- 2
A wide, flat, paddle-like rubber covering for the foot, used in swimming.
- 3
A flat lever in a pinball machine, triggered by the player to strike the ball and keep it in play.
- 4
A small flat used to support a larger one.
- 5
A type of ball bowled by a leg spin bowler, which spins backwards and skids off the pitch with a low bounce.
- 6
USinformalTelevision remote control, clicker.
- 7
datedslangThe hand.
- 8
A kind of false tooth, usually temporary.
verb
- 1
To lift one or both flippers out of the water and slap the surface of the water.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Flipper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | aileron, nageoire , palme |
| German | Flosse , Flipper, Flipperhebel |
| Portuguese | barbatana, nadadeira , pé de pato , aleta , controle |
| Spanish | aleta , pata de rana |
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 flipper come from?
From flip + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Flappert (“flipper, wing”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).