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PlainSpell

quarrel

quar·rel/ˈkwɔɹəl/noun, verb

quarrel is spelled Q-U-A-R-R-E-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables (quar·rel). It appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, quarrel means “A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of quarrel is quarrels.

How many letters and syllables are in quarrel?

Letters7: Q-U-A-R-R-E-L
Syllables2: quar·rel
In writing2.0 times per million words; the 19,336th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 quarrel?

Quarrel appears 2.0 times per million words in written English, the 19,336th 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 quarrel?

  • UK /ˈkwɒɹ(ə)l/
  • US /ˈkwɔɹəl/
  • /ˈkwɑɹəl/

Quarrel has 2 syllables, split quar·rel in writing.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-quarrel.oga, En-us-quarrel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with quarrel?

11 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as quarrel from its last stressed vowel (/ɔɹəl/):

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 quarrel

  • quarrels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • quarreling US, participle, present
  • quarrelling UK, participle, present
  • quarreled US, participle, past
  • quarrelled UK, participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural

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

What does quarrel mean?

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

noun

  1. 1

    A dispute or heated argument (especially one that is verbal).

    We got into a silly quarrel about what food to order.

  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.

    A few customers in the shop had some quarrels with us, so we called for the manager.

  3. 3

    rareA propensity to quarrel; quarrelsomeness.

  4. 4

    An arrow or bolt for a crossbow or an arbalest (“a late, large type of crossbow”), traditionally with the head square in its cross section.

  5. 5

    A diamond- or square-shaped piece of glass forming part of a lattice window.

  6. 6

    A square tile; a quarry tile; (uncountable) such tiles collectively.

  7. 7

    obsoleterareA cutting tool or chisel with a diamond- or square-shaped end.

  8. 8

    obsoleteA small square-shaped opening in window tracery.

verb

  1. 1

    To argue fiercely; to contend; to squabble; to cease to be on friendly terms, to fall out.

  2. 2

    To find fault; to cavil.

    to quarrel with one’s lot

  3. 3

    obsoleteFollowed by at: to disagree with; to take offence.

  4. 4

    To argue or squabble with (someone).

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

Quarrel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchquerelle, dispute (dispute or heated argument), se quereller, se disputer (to argue strongly, contend, squabble), carreau (arrow or bolt for a crossbow or arbalest)
GermanStreit (dispute or heated argument), sich streiten, streiten, sich zanken (to argue strongly, contend, squabble), Bolzen (arrow or bolt for a crossbow or arbalest)
Portuguesequerela, discussão (dispute or heated argument), querelar, discutir (to argue strongly, contend, squabble), seta (arrow or bolt for a crossbow or arbalest), queixa (basis or ground of dispute or objection – see…)
Spanishbrega, discusión, pelea, pelotera, rencilla, riña (dispute or heated argument)

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 quarrel come from?

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).

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

What to look up after quarrel