quibble
/ˈkwɪbəl/noun, verb
quibble is spelled Q-U-I-B-B-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, quibble means “An argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of quibble is quibbles.
How many letters and syllables are in quibble?
| Letters | 7: Q-U-I-B-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,145th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none 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 quibble?
Quibble appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,145th 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 quibble?
- /ˈkwɪbəl/
Quibble 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-quibble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of quibble
- quibbles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- quibbling participle, present
- quibbled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does quibble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An argument or objection based on an ambiguity of wording or similar trivial circumstance; a minor complaint.
He harped on his quibble about how the dark red paint should be described as carmine rather than burgundy.
- 2
archaicA pun.
verb
- 1
informalTo complain or argue in a trivial or petty manner.
They are constantly quibbling over insignificant details.
- 2
informalrareTo contest, especially some trivial issue in a petty manner.
The customer quibbled the bill.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Quibble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | argutie , chicaner, ergoter, chinoiser, chipoter, pinailler |
| German | kleinliche Kritik, Spitzfindigkeit, Haarspalterei , herumstreiten, kleinlich sein |
| Portuguese | minúcia , preocupar-se, preocupar-se com minúcias, discutir |
| Spanish | sutileza, argucia , buscar evasivas, sutilizar, andar con sutilezas |
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 quibble come from?
Origin uncertain. Possibly from quib (“quibble”, noun) + -le (diminutive ending). Quib is probably from Latin quibus (“in what respect? how?”), which appeared frequently in legal documents and came to be suggestive of the verbosity and petty argumentation found therein; or perhaps an alteration of quip. Alternatively, perhaps related to dialectal Dutch kwebbelen (“to speak quickly and continuously, chatter”). Compare also Scots wheebele (“a quibble”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).