scramble
/ˈskɹæmbl̩/verb, noun, interjection
scramble is spelled S-C-R-A-M-B-L-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, scramble means “To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in scramble?
| Letters | 8: S-C-R-A-M-B-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,342nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is scramble?
Scramble appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd 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 scramble?
- /ˈskɹæmbl̩/
Scramble has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-scramble.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of scramble
- scrambles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- scrambling participle, present
- scrambled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does scramble mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To move hurriedly to a location, especially by using all limbs against a surface.
- 2
To proceed to a location or an objective in a disorderly manner.
- 3
To thoroughly combine and cook as a loose mass.
I scrambled some eggs with spinach and cheese.
- 4
To process telecommunication signals to make them unintelligible to an unauthorized listener.
- 5
To mix up, to confuse, to mislead.
- 6
To quickly deploy (vehicles, usually aircraft) to a destination in response to an alert, usually to intercept an attacking enemy.
- 7
To be quickly deployed in this manner.
- 8
To partake in motocross.
noun
- 1
A rush or hurry, especially making use of the limbs against a surface.
a last-minute scramble to the finish line
- 2
An emergency defensive air force mission to intercept attacking enemy aircraft.
- 3
A motocross race.
- 4
Any frantic period of competitive activity.
- 5
An impromptu maneuver or run by a quarterback, attempting to gain yardage or avoid being tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
- 6
A statistic used in assessing a player's short game, consisting of a chip or putt from under 50 yards away that results in requiring one putt or less on the green.
- 7
A variant of golf in which each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays their second shot from within a club length of where the best ball has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
- 8
A dish (meal) involving scrambled eggs and a hodgepodge of complementary ingredients, usually closer to a casserole than to an omelette.
Near-synonym: hash
interjection
- 1
UKShouted when something desirable is thrown into a group of people who individually want that item, causing them to rush for it.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Scramble in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | krabbeln , drängeln , verrühren, verquirlen, vermengen , verwürfeln |
| Spanish | gatear , intentar resolver chapuceramente , revolver, alterar, complicar , arrebato |
| French | se ruer , brouiller , bousculade , faire de l'escalade , interception , motocross |
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 scramble come from?
Origin uncertain. Perhaps from earlier dialectal scramble, scrammel (“to collect or rake together with the hands”), from scramb (“to pull or scrape together with the hands”) + -le (frequentative suffix) (compare Dutch schrammen (“to graze, brush, scratch”)); or alternatively from a nasalised form of scrabble (“to scrape or scratch quickly”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).