marvel
mar·vel/ˈmɑɹvəl/noun, verb
marvel is spelled M-A-R-V-E-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables (mar·vel). It appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, marvel means “That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a portent” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of marvel is marvels.
How many letters and syllables are in marvel?
| Letters | 6: M-A-R-V-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: mar·vel |
| In writing | 14 times per million words; the 5,496th 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; 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 marvel?
Marvel appears 14 times per million words in written English, the 5,496th 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 marvel?
- UK /ˈmɑːvəl/
- UK [ˈmɑːvəl] ~ [ˈmɑːvl̩]
- US /ˈmɑɹvəl/
Marvel has 2 syllables, split mar·vel in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-marvel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with marvel?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as marvel from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹvəl/):
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 marvel
- marvels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- marvail
- marvell
- marveling US, participle, present
- marvelling UK, participle, present
- marveled US, participle, past
- marvelled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does marvel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a portent.
- 2
archaicWonder, astonishment.
verb
- 1
To become filled with wonderment or admiration; to be amazed at something.
- 2
obsoleteTo wonder at.
- 3
obsoleteTo cause to wonder or be surprised.
15th century, Anonymous, Richard the Redeless But much now me marvelleth.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Marvel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense become filled with wonderment:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | être émerveillé, être sublimé |
| German | wundern |
| Spanish | maravillarse |
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 marvel come from?
First attested from 1300, from Middle English merveile, from Old French merveille (“a wonder”), from Vulgar Latin *miribilia, from Latin mīrābilia (“wonderful things”), from neuter plural of mīrābilis (“strange, wonderful”), from mīror (“to wonder at”), from mīrus (“wonderful”). Doublet of mirabilia.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).