gobble
/ˈɡɑbl̩/verb, noun
gobble is spelled G-O-B-B-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, gobble means “To eat hastily or greedily; to scoff or scarf (often used with up)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gobble?
| Letters | 6: G-O-B-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,748th 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 gobble?
Gobble appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th 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 gobble?
- UK /ˈɡɒbl̩/
- US /ˈɡɑbl̩/
Gobble 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-gobble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with gobble?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as gobble from its last stressed vowel (/ɑbl/):
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 gobble
- gobbles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- gobbling participle, present
- gobbled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gobble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To eat hastily or greedily; to scoff or scarf (often used with up)
He gobbled four hot dogs in three minutes.
- 2
Of a turkey, to make its characteristic vocalisation; also, used of certain other birds.
- 3
To make the sound of a turkey.
noun
- 1
ScotlandslangvulgarFellatio; a blowjob.
- 2
rareAn act of eating hastily or greedily.
- 3
A rapid straight putt so strongly played that, if the ball had not gone into the hole, it would have gone a long way past.
- 4
The sound of a turkey; or, a similar vocalisation of another bird.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gobble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bouffer , glousser, glouglouter |
| German | schlingen, verschlingen, hinunterschlingen , kollern |
| Portuguese | devorar , grugulejar |
| Spanish | gluglú |
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 gobble come from?
From Middle English gobben (“to drink or swallow greedily”), of uncertain origin + -le (frequentative suffix). Middle English gobben is perhaps an alteration of Middle English globben (“to gulp down”), related to English gulpen (“to gulp”). However, compare also French gober.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).