keelhaul
keel·haul/ˈkiːlhɔl/verb
keelhaul is spelled K-E-E-L-H-A-U-L: 8 letters and 2 syllables (keel·haul). It appears about once in every 50 million words in written English, the 220,118th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, keelhaul means “To punish by dragging under the keel of a ship with the intent of causing painful injuries” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in keelhaul?
| Letters | 8: K-E-E-L-H-A-U-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: keel·haul |
| In writing | about once in every 50 million words; the 220,118th 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 keelhaul?
Keelhaul appears about once in every 50 million words in written English, the 220,118th 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 keelhaul?
- UK /ˈkiːlhɔːl/
- US /ˈkiːlhɔl/
Keelhaul has 2 syllables, split keel·haul in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-keelhaul.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of keelhaul
- keelhauls present, singular, he/she/it
- keelhauling participle, present
- keelhauled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does keelhaul mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To punish by dragging under the keel of a ship with the intent of causing painful injuries.
- 2
To rebuke harshly.
I've been asking myself the same question and there are two ways to answer it–yes and no. Yes, because he took on a responsibility no one else wanted–for the reasons we've all witnessed–and no because keelhauling him will be five percent ab
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Keelhaul in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense punish by dragging under the keel of a ship:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | donner la cale |
| German | kielholen |
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 keelhaul come from?
From Dutch kielhalen (“keelhaul”), from kiel (“keel”) + halen (“fetch; catch”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).