groundswell
noun
groundswell is spelled G-R-O-U-N-D-S-W-E-L-L: 11 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, groundswell means “A broad undulation of the open ocean, often as the result of a distant disturbance” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of groundswell is groundswells.
How many letters and syllables are in groundswell?
| Letters | 11: G-R-O-U-N-D-S-W-E-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 67,454th 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 groundswell?
Groundswell appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 67,454th 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 groundswell?
Groundswell 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).
Words people confuse with groundswell
Also written: ground swell (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of groundswell
- groundswells plural
- ground swell
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does groundswell mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A broad undulation of the open ocean, often as the result of a distant disturbance.
- 2
A broadly-based shifting of public opinion.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Groundswell in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense broad undulation of the open ocean:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lame de fond |
| German | Grunddünung, Grundströmung |
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 groundswell come from?
From ground + swell.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).