quarrel

/ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/

//ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"quarrel" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quarrel” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,427. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,427
frequency rank, English
288
“Q” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).

Corpus desk

Index EN-quarrel · quarrel · English

quarrel · rank #19,427 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,427
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 288
  • PHOTO-FINISH Putnam

Nearest frequency peer: Putnam (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “quarrel”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “quarrel” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

quarrel vs quarry
71% similar
quarrel vs quarter
71% similar
quarrel vs quartet
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for quarrel
PropertyValue
Headwordquarrel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,427
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “quarrel”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).quarrellands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Putnam” (#19,426), “proprietor” (#19,425), “raider” (#19,429). Among 288 “Q” headwords, “quarrel” is #19,427. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around quarrel (IPA /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,427 among 288 “Q” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for quarrel, with forms such as "qaurrel", "qquarrel", and "quarel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "quarry", "quarter", "quartet", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English querele (“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman querele [and other forms] and Middle French querel… The correct English form is quarrel, spelled Q-U-A-R-R-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).
  2. 2
    Often preceded by a form of to have: a basis or ground of dispute or objection; a complaint; also, a feeling or situation of ill will and unhappiness caused by this.
  3. 3
    A propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how quarrel appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.
  2. And let a Man bevvare, hovv he keepeth Company, vvith Cholerick and Quarelſome Perſons; for they vvill engage him into their ovvne Quarels.

Etymology

From Middle English querele (“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman querele [and other forms] and Middle French querele, querelle (“altercation, dispute; basis for dispute; side in a dispute; complaint; accusation; legal suit; lament; problem”) (modern French querelle), and from their etymon Latin querēla, querella (“dispute; argument; complaint, grievance; legal complaint; lament; illness”), from querī + -ēla, -ella (suffix forming nouns). querī (“to complain; to bewail, lament; to be indignant”) comes from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwes- (“to puff; to sigh”).

This word in other languages

brega(Español)querelle(Français)Streit(Deutsch)querela(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qaurrel
  • qquarrel
  • quarel
  • quarerl
  • quarrell
  • quarrle
  • qurarel
  • uqarrel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of quarrel - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

qaurrel2qquarrel1quarel1quarerl2quarrell1quarrle2qurarel2uqarrel2
Edit distance from "quarrel"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "quarrel"?
"quarrel" is spelled Q-U-A-R-R-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/.
What does "quarrel" mean?
As a noun, "quarrel" means: A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).
What words are commonly confused with "quarrel"?
"quarrel" is commonly confused with "quarry", "quarter", "quartet". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "quarrel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quarrel" is /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "quarrel"?
From Middle English querele (“altercation, dispute; argument, debate; armed combat; trial by combat; basis for dispute, complaint; claim, legal suit; a lament; illness”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman querele [and other forms] and Middle Fre... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "quarrel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Potomac#19,419perjury#19,415rooster#19,441pajamas#19,411

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

raider8 variantsrained8 variantsrebate8 variantsrouted8 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list