scoundrel
scoun·drel/ˈskaʊ̯ndɹəl/noun
scoundrel is spelled S-C-O-U-N-D-R-E-L: 9 letters and 2 syllables (scoun·drel). It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, scoundrel means “A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a person without honor or virtue” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of scoundrel is scoundrels.
How many letters and syllables are in scoundrel?
| Letters | 9: S-C-O-U-N-D-R-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: scoun·drel |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th 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 scoundrel?
Scoundrel appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th 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 scoundrel?
- /ˈskaʊ̯ndɹəl/
Scoundrel has 2 syllables, split scoun·drel in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-scoundrel.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of scoundrel
- scoundrels plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does scoundrel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A mean, worthless fellow; a rascal; a villain; a person without honor or virtue.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Scoundrel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense villain:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | scélérat, scélérate, gredin, gredine, canaille |
| German | Gauner, Gaunerin, Halunke, Halunkin, Schurke, Schurkin |
| Portuguese | canalha |
| Spanish | bribón, canalla, bellaco, villano, malandrín, pillastre |
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 scoundrel come from?
From earlier scondrel, scondrell, skoundrell, skowndrell, of unknown origin. Possibly related to northern English or Scottish scunner, skuner, scouner, scunder (“to shrink back in fear, disgust, or loathing”) (Encyclopædia Britannica 1911).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).