morsel
/ˈmɔɹsəl/noun, verb
morsel is spelled M-O-R-S-E-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, morsel means “A small fragment or share of something, commonly applied to food” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of morsel is morsels.
How many letters and syllables are in morsel?
| Letters | 6: M-O-R-S-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 47,633rd 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 and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; 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 morsel?
Morsel appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 47,633rd 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 morsel?
- UK /ˈmɔːsəl/
- US /ˈmɔɹsəl/
Morsel 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). Recordings: En-us-morsel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with morsel?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as morsel from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹsəl/):
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 morsel
- morsels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- morcel
- morseling US, participle, present
- morselling UK, participle, present
- morseled US, participle, past
- morselled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does morsel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A small fragment or share of something, commonly applied to food.
- 2
A mouthful of food.
- 3
A very small amount.
verb
- 1
To divide into small pieces.
- 2
obsoleterareTo feed with small pieces of food.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Morsel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | morceau , morceau de nourriture |
| German | Happen , Bissen |
| Portuguese | porção, gota, mordida |
| Spanish | pizca, porción, gota |
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 morsel come from?
From Middle English morsel, from Old French morsel, from Medieval Latin morsellum (“a bit, a little piece”), diminutive of Latin morsum (“a bit”), neuter of morsus, perfect passive participle of mordeo (“to bite”). Compare French morceau, whence the English doublet morceau.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).