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PlainSpell

sizzle

/ˈsɪzəl/verb, noun

sizzle is spelled S-I-Z-Z-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, sizzle means “To make the sound of water boiling on a hot surface” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in sizzle?

Letters6: S-I-Z-Z-L-E
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writingabout once in every 2 million words; the 36,998th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone 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 sizzle?

Sizzle appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,998th 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 sizzle?

  • US /ˈsɪzəl/

Sizzle 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-sizzle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

What rhymes with sizzle?

4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as sizzle from its last stressed vowel (/ɪzəl/):

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 sizzle

  • sizzles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
  • sizzling participle, present
  • sizzled participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does sizzle mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

verb

  1. 1

    To make the sound of water boiling on a hot surface.

    The sausages were sizzling on the barbecue.

  2. 2

    informalTo cook (something) in a manner which causes that sound.

    I sizzled the bacon for a few minutes in the pan.

  3. 3

    To be exciting or dazzling.

    The song sizzled with energy.

noun

  1. 1

    The sound of water boiling on a hot surface.

    We heard the sizzle of the onions hitting the pan.

  2. 2

    informalThe process of being cooked which involves that sound.

    Give them a sizzle for a few more minutes before serving.

  3. 3

    Zing, zip, or pizazz; excitement.

    Her performance had a lot of sizzle.

  4. 4

    Ellipsis of sizzle reel.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Sizzle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchgrésiller (to make the sound of water hitting a hot surface), grésillement (the sound of water hitting a hot surface)
Germanzischen (to make the sound of water hitting a hot surface), Zischen (the sound of water hitting a hot surface), brutzeln (to cook in a manner which causes sizzling)
Portuguesechiar (to make the sound of water hitting a hot surface), chiado (the sound of water hitting a hot surface)
Spanishchisporrotear, chirriar (to make the sound of water hitting a hot surface), chirrido (zing, zip, or pizazz; excitement)

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 sizzle come from?

Probably a derivative of Middle English sissen (“to hiss; buzz; hum”), equivalent to siss + -le (frequentative suffix); Ultimately imitative.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after sizzle