shawl
/ʃɔːl/noun, verb
shawl is spelled S-H-A-W-L: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, shawl means “A square or rectangular piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, and shoulders, typically by women” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of shawl is shawls.
How many letters and syllables are in shawl?
| Letters | 5: S-H-A-W-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 23,253rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is shawl?
Shawl appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 23,253rd 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 shawl?
- UK /ʃɔːl/
- British /ʃoːl/
- /ʃɔl/
Shawl has one syllable (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-shawl.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with shawl?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as shawl from its last stressed vowel (/ɔl/, British pronunciation):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of shawl
- shawls plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- shawling participle, present
- shawled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does shawl mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A square or rectangular piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, and shoulders, typically by women.
She wears her shawl when it's cold outside.
- 2
A fold of wrinkled flesh under the lips and neck of a bloodhound, used in scenting.
verb
- 1
To wrap in a shawl.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Shawl in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a square piece of cloth worn as a covering for the head, neck, and shoulders:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | châle |
| German | Schal |
| Portuguese | xale, xaile |
| Spanish | chal, pañolón, mantilla, mantón, rebozo, manteleta |
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 shawl come from?
Borrowed from Hindustani (Hindi शाल (śāl) / Urdu شال (śāl)), from Classical Persian شال (šāl). Doublet of sari through Sanskrit.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).