runnel
run·nel/ˈɹʌnəl/noun, verb
runnel is spelled R-U-N-N-E-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables (run·nel). It appears about once in every 55 million words in written English, the 231,291st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, runnel means “A small stream, a rivulet” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of runnel is runnels.
How many letters and syllables are in runnel?
| Letters | 6: R-U-N-N-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: run·nel |
| In writing | about once in every 55 million words; the 231,291st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is runnel?
Runnel appears about once in every 55 million words in written English, the 231,291st 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 runnel?
- /ˈɹʌnəl/
- /ˈɹʌn.l/
Runnel has 2 syllables, split run·nel in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-runnel.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of runnel
- runnels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- rinel
- rindle
- runneling US, participle, present
- runnelling UK, participle, present
- runneled US, participle, past
- runnelled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does runnel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A small stream, a rivulet.
- 2
A small artificial channel for water to flow in.
verb
- 1
To create channels for directing the flow of liquid.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does runnel come from?
From Middle English runel, rennel, rinel, from Old English rynel (“that which runs; runner; stream”), from Proto-Germanic *runilaz, equivalent to run + -el. Cognate with Scots rinel, rinnal (“stream; runnel”), Swedish rännel (“runner; runnel”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).