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PlainSpell

paddle

[ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩]noun, verb

paddle is spelled P-A-D-D-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.1 times per million words in written English, the 15,146th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, paddle means “A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of paddle is paddles.

How many letters and syllables are in paddle?

Letters6: P-A-D-D-L-E
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing3.1 times per million words; the 15,146th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

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).

How common is paddle?

Paddle appears 3.1 times per million words in written English, the 15,146th 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 paddle?

  • /ˈpædl̩/
  • US [ˈpʰæ.ɾɫ̩]

Paddle 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-au-paddle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of paddle

  • paddles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • paidle
  • paddling participle, present
  • paddled participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does paddle mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

noun

  1. 1

    A single-bladed version is typically used on canoes and some other small boats.

  2. 2

    A double-bladed version with blades at each end of the shaft is used for kayaking.

  3. 3

    The use of a paddle to propel a boat; a session of paddling.

    We had a nice paddle this morning.

  4. 4

    A slat of a paddleboat's wheel.

  5. 5

    A paddlewheel.

  6. 6

    A blade of a waterwheel.

  7. 7

    datedA game controller with a round wheel used to control player movement along one axis of the video screen.

  8. 8

    UKA meandering walk or dabble through shallow water, especially at the seaside.

verb

  1. 1

    To propel something through water with a paddle, oar, hands, etc.

  2. 2

    To row a boat with less than one's full capacity.

  3. 3

    To spank with a paddle.

  4. 4

    To pat or stroke amorously or gently.

  5. 5

    To tread upon; to trample.

  6. 6

    UKTo walk or dabble playfully in shallow water, especially at the seaside.

  7. 7

    To dog paddle in water.

  8. 8

    To toddle.

  9. 9

    archaicTo toy or caress using hands or fingers.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Paddle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchpagaie, rame, aviron (two-handed, single-bladed oar), pagayage (use of a paddle; session of paddling), pale (slat of a paddleboat's wheel), pagayer (to propel something through water with a…)
GermanPaddel (two-handed, single-bladed oar), Paddelei, Paddeltour (use of a paddle; session of paddling), Schaufelblatt (slat of a paddleboat's wheel), Doppelpaddel (double-bladed oar used for kayaking), Schaufelrad (paddlewheel)
Portugueseremo (two-handed, single-bladed oar), remada (use of a paddle; session of paddling), remar (to propel something through water with a…), espátula (kitchen utensil), palmatória (bat-shaped spanking implement), raquete (equivalent of a racquet in ping-pong)
Spanishremo (two-handed, single-bladed oar), remar, bogar, ciar, paletear (to propel something through water with a…), pala (double-bladed oar used for kayaking)

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 paddle come from?

Partly from the verb paddle ("to splash, dabble"; see below) and partly from Middle English padell (“small spade”). Middle English padell is from Medieval Latin padela, itself of uncertain origin: perhaps an alteration of Middle English *spaddle (see also spaddle), a diminutive of spade; or from Latin patella (“pan, plate”), the diminutive of patina, or a merger of the two. Compare Ancient Greek πηδάλιον (pēdálion, “rudder, steering oar”), derived from πηδόν (pēdón, “the blade of an oar; an oar”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after paddle