rumple

/ˈɹʌmpəl/

//ˈɹʌmpəl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“rumple” is uncommon English (frequency #71,866 among 21,470 “R” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,866
frequency rank, English
21,470
“R” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make wrinkled, particularly fabric.

Corpus desk

Index EN-rumple · rumple · English

rumple · rank #71,866 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #71,866
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 21,470
  • PHOTO-FINISH rumpled

Nearest frequency peer: rumpled (+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 “rumple”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “rumple” 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 May 6, 2026
Key facts for rumple
PropertyValue
Headwordrumple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɹʌmpəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#71,866
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “rumple” 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). rumple lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

rumple is uncommon English at frequency #71,866 among 21,470 “R” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɹʌmpəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for rumple in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English rimplen (“to become wrinkled”). Compare German rumpeln (“to din, to make the welkin ring”) and Dutch rommelen (“to rumble”). The correct English form is rumple, spelled R-U-M-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make wrinkled, particularly fabric.
  2. 2
    To muss; to tousle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I'll rumple my bedsheets so it looks like I was here last night.
  2. They would not give a dog's ear of their most rumpled and ragged Scotch paper for twenty of your fairest assignats.

Etymology

From Middle English rimplen (“to become wrinkled”). Compare German rumpeln (“to din, to make the welkin ring”) and Dutch rommelen (“to rumble”).

This word in other languages

arrugar(Español)froisser(Français)zerknittern(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.

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 May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "rumple"?
"rumple" is spelled R-U-M-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɹʌmpəl/.
What does "rumple" mean?
As a verb, "rumple" means: To make wrinkled, particularly fabric.
How do you pronounce "rumple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "rumple" is /ˈɹʌmpəl/. 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 "rumple"?
From Middle English rimplen (“to become wrinkled”). Compare German rumpeln (“to din, to make the welkin ring”) and Dutch rommelen (“to rumble”). 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 "rumple", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Revoir#71,850retell#71,847rehire#71,841ratted#71,833
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