rascal
ras·cal/ˈɹæskl̩/noun
rascal is spelled R-A-S-C-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables (ras·cal). It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,420th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, rascal means “A dishonest person; a rogue, a scoundrel, a trickster” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of rascal is rascals.
How many letters and syllables are in rascal?
| Letters | 6: R-A-S-C-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: ras·cal |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 26,420th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
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 rascal?
Rascal appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,420th 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 rascal?
- UK /ˈɹɑːskl̩/
- US /ˈɹæskl̩/
Rascal has 2 syllables, split ras·cal in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-rascal.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with rascal?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as rascal (/æskl/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: scalar, sacral, lascar.
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 rascal
- rascals plural
- more rascal comparative
- most rascal superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does rascal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A dishonest person; a rogue, a scoundrel, a trickster.
- 2
A cheeky person or creature; a troublemaker.
That little rascal bit me!
- 3
A member of a criminal gang.
adjective
- 1
archaicLow; lowly, part of or belonging to the common rabble.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Rascal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | racaille , canaille, coquin, crapule, filou, fripon |
| German | Gauner, Strolch, Bösewicht, Schurke , Bengel |
| Portuguese | pilantra , patife, canalha |
| Spanish | pícaro, bribón, trilón, canalla , pillo |
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 rascal come from?
Recorded since c.1330, as Middle English rascaile (“people of the lowest class, rabble of an army”), derived from 12th century Old French rascaille (“outcast, rabble”) (modern French racaille), perhaps from rasque (“mud, filth, scab, dregs”), from Vulgar Latin *rasicō (“to scrape”). The singular form is first attested in 1461; the present extended sense of "low, dishonest person" is from early 1586.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).