mongrel
/ˈmɑŋ.ɡɹəl/noun, adjective
mongrel is spelled M-O-N-G-R-E-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a derogatory noun, mongrel means “A dog with a lineage of two or more breeds” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of mongrel is mongrels.
How many letters and syllables are in mongrel?
| Letters | 7: M-O-N-G-R-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,209th 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 mongrel?
Mongrel appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,209th 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 mongrel?
- UK /ˈmʌŋ.ɡɹəl/
- US /ˈmɑŋ.ɡɹəl/
- US /ˈmʌŋ.ɡɹəl/
Mongrel has 2 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-mongrel.wav, En-au-mongrel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of mongrel
- mongrels plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does mongrel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
derogatoryA dog with a lineage of two or more breeds.
That dog is a mongrel; who knows what breed it could be!
- 2
derogatoryoffensiveA person of mixed race.
- 3
CommonwealthIrelandUKslangA thuggish, obnoxious, or contemptible person; (often preceded by "poor") a pitiable person.
- 4
AustraliaslangAn erect penis; an erection.
adjective
- 1
Of mixed breed, nature, or origin; of or like a mongrel.
English spelling is often regarded as confusing and unpredictable due to the mongrel nature of that language.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Mongrel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense someone of mixed kind:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bâtard, corniaud, métis, métisse |
| German | Mischling, Mischlingshund, Promenadenmischung, Kreuzung, Bastard, Straßenköter |
| Portuguese | vira-lata, rafeiro |
| Spanish | perro mestizo, cacri, comecuandohay, comecuanduay, chucho, chumino |
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 mongrel come from?
From Middle English mongrel, equivalent to mong (“mixture”) + -rel (pejorative diminutive); from Old English ġemang (“mingling”) (whence Modern English among), from Proto-Germanic *mang- (“mix; mixture”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).