heckle
heck·le/ˈhɛkəl/verb, noun
heckle is spelled H-E-C-K-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (heck·le). It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 59,387th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, heckle means “To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in heckle?
| Letters | 6: H-E-C-K-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: heck·le |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 59,387th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is heckle?
Heckle appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 59,387th 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 heckle?
- /ˈhɛkəl/
- [ˈhɛkəl] ~ [ˈhɛkl̩]
Heckle has 2 syllables, split heck·le in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-heckle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of heckle
- heckles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- heckling participle, present
- heckled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does heckle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To question harshly in an attempt to find or reveal weaknesses.
- 2
To insult, tease, make fun of or badger, especially during a comedy performance.
Promise that you won't heckle me after my performance.
- 3
To prepare (flax) for spinning, using special combs called hackles.
noun
- 1
Alternative form of hackle (“tool for separating flax”).
- 2
The long shining feathers on a cock's neck.
- 3
A feather ornament in the full-dress bonnets of Highland regiments.
- 4
An rude interruption during a show, especially a comedy performance
The stand-up dealt well with the heckles from the crowd, replying with raucous banter to raise plenty of laughs.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Heckle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | dazwischenrufen, ausquetschen, examinieren, verhören , beleidigen, beschimpfen |
| Spanish | abuchear, abroncar, silbar, chuflar, rechiflar |
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 heckle come from?
Transferred usage of Middle English hekelen (“to comb flax or hemp with a heckle”), from hekele (“a comb for flax or hemp”), from Middle Dutch hekelen (“to prickle, irritate”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakilōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakilōną, related to *hakô (“hook”). Doublet of hatchel. Related to hackle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).