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PlainSpell

funnel

/ˈfʌnəl/noun, verb

funnel is spelled F-U-N-N-E-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,613th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, funnel means “A utensil in the shape of an inverted hollow cone terminating in a narrow pipe, for channeling liquids or granular material; typically used when…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of funnel is funnels.

How many letters and syllables are in funnel?

Letters6: F-U-N-N-E-L
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing3.0 times per million words; the 15,613th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 funnel?

Funnel appears 3.0 times per million words in written English, the 15,613th 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 funnel?

  • US /ˈfʌnəl/
  • /ˈfʊnəl/

Funnel 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-us-funnel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with funnel

Also written: funneling.

Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of funnel

  • funnels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • funneling US, participle, present
  • funnelling UK, participle, present
  • funneled US, participle, past
  • funnelled UK, participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does funnel mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A utensil in the shape of an inverted hollow cone terminating in a narrow pipe, for channeling liquids or granular material; typically used when transferring said substances from any container into ones with a significantly smaller opening.

  2. 2

    A passage or avenue for a fluid or flowing substance; specifically, a smoke flue or pipe; the chimney of a steamship or the like.

  3. 3

    Ellipsis of purchase funnel (“the process of customer acquisition conceptualized as a series of stages, from initial awareness (top) to sale or conversion (bottom)”).

    top of (the) funnel marketing

  4. 4

    Ellipsis of funnel cloud.

  5. 5

    Alternative form of fummel (“hybrid animal”).

verb

  1. 1

    To use a funnel.

  2. 2

    To proceed through a narrow gap or passageway akin to a funnel; to condense or narrow.

    Expect delays where the traffic funnels down to one lane.

  3. 3

    To channel, direct, or focus (emotions, money, resources, etc.).

    Our taxes are being funnelled into pointless government initiatives.

  4. 4

    To consume (beer, etc.) rapidly through a funnel, typically as a stunt at a party.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Funnel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchentonnoir (utensil used to guide poured liquids), utiliser un entonnoir (to use a funnel), canaliser (to proceed through a narrow gap or passageway…)
GermanTrichter (utensil used to guide poured liquids), trichtern, eintrichtern (to use a funnel), schleusen (to direct (money or resources))
Portuguesefunil (utensil used to guide poured liquids)
Spanishembudo, infundíbulo, fonil (utensil used to guide poured liquids), embudar (to use a funnel), canalizar, encauzar (to direct (money or resources))

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 funnel come from?

From Middle English funell, fonel, probably through Old French *founel (compare Middle French fonel, Old Occitan fonilh, enfounilh), from Latin fundibulum, infundibulum (“funnel”), from infundere (“to pour in”); in (“in”) + fundere (“to pour”); compare Breton founilh (“funnel”), Welsh ffynel (“air hole, chimney”). See fuse.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after funnel