riffle

/ˈɹɪfəl/

//ˈɹɪfəl// noun

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

"riffle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“riffle” is uncommon English (frequency #75,361 among 3,094 “R” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,361
frequency rank, English
3,094
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water.

Corpus desk

Index EN-riffle · riffle · English

riffle · rank #75,361 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #75,361
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,094
  • PHOTO-FINISH riddim

Nearest frequency peer: riddim (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “riffle”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “riffle” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for riffle
PropertyValue
Headwordriffle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɹɪfəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#75,361
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “riffle” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).riffle lands here:

#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. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

riffle is uncommon English at frequency #75,361 among 3,094 “R” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɹɪfəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for riffle in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”). The correct English form is riffle, spelled R-I-F-F-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water.
  2. 2
    A succession of small waves.
  3. 3
    A trough or sluice having cleats, grooves, or steps across the bottom for holding quicksilver and catching particles of gold when auriferous earth is washed. Also one of the cleats, grooves or steps in such trough.
  4. 4
    A quick skim through the pages of a book.
  5. 5
    Synonym of riffle shuffle
  6. 6
    The sound made while shuffling cards.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They then proceeded below the milldam, where there was a strong riffle, with likely looking pools and eddies
  2. The big trout feed aggressively and tend to lose their caution in the rifles.

Etymology

Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”).

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "riffle"?
"riffle" is spelled R-I-F-F-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹɪfəl/.
What does "riffle" mean?
As a noun, "riffle" means: A swift, shallow part of a stream causing broken water.
How do you pronounce "riffle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "riffle" is /ˈɹɪfəl/. 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 "riffle"?
Possible alteration of ruffle, from Middle English ruffelen, akin to Low German ruffelen (“to crumple”). 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 "riffle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

riddim#75,360readme#75,341ravish#75,339sapien#75,383

What to do next

You've looked up "riffle". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #75,361 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
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PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list