quarrelsome

/ˈkwɒɹəlsəm/

//ˈkwɒɹəlsəm// adj

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

"quarrelsome" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“quarrelsome” is uncommon English (frequency #73,561 among 288 “Q” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,561
frequency rank, English
288
“Q” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Argumentative; fond of or prone to quarreling.

Corpus desk

Index EN-quarrelsome · quarrelsome · English

quarrelsome · rank #73,561 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #73,561
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 288
  • PHOTO-FINISH Quintanilla

Nearest frequency peer: Quintanilla (+2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “quarrelsome”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “quarrelsome” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for quarrelsome
PropertyValue
Headwordquarrelsome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈkwɒɹəlsəm/
Letters11
Frequency rank#73,561
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “quarrelsome” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).quarrelsomefalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Quintanilla” (#73,563), “pursuance” (#73,558), “Quintin” (#73,564). Among 288 “Q” headwords, “quarrelsome” is #73,561. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

quarrelsome is uncommon English at frequency #73,561 among 288 “Q” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈkwɒɹəlsəm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Argumentative; fond of or prone to quarreling.".

quarrelsome has no tracked misspelling variants, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From quarrel + -some. The correct English form is quarrelsome, spelled Q-U-A-R-R-E-L-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Argumentative; fond of or prone to quarreling.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She's too quarrelsome to participate in a civil conversation.
  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 quarrel + -some.

Synonyms

agonisticargumentativebangsomebellicosebelligerentcontentiousdebatefuldiscordantdisputatiousfactiousfractiousfratchetyfratchylitigiouslogomachicpettifoggingquarrelousquarrelsomerantankeroussquabblystrifefulunpacific

Antonyms

calmmediationalnonargumentativepeaceableunargumentativeunquarrelsome

This word in other languages

rijoso(Español)querelleux(Français)streitsüchtig(Deutsch)

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 "quarrelsome"?
"quarrelsome" is spelled Q-U-A-R-R-E-L-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkwɒɹəlsəm/.
What does "quarrelsome" mean?
As an adjective, "quarrelsome" means: Argumentative; fond of or prone to quarreling.
How do you pronounce "quarrelsome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "quarrelsome" is /ˈkwɒɹəlsəm/. 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 "quarrelsome"?
From quarrel + -some. 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 "quarrelsome", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Quintanilla#73,563polyamorous#73,541Plattsburgh#73,532phraseology#73,527

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list