skewer
/ˈskjuː.ɚ/noun, verb, adjective
skewer is spelled S-K-E-W-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, skewer means “A long pin, normally made of metal or wood, used to secure food during cooking” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of skewer is skewers.
How many letters and syllables are in skewer?
| Letters | 6: S-K-E-W-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 43,187th 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 skewer?
Skewer appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th 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 skewer?
- UK /ˈskjuː.ə/
- US /ˈskjuː.ɚ/
Skewer 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-skewer.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with skewer?
9 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as skewer from its last stressed vowel (/uəɹ/):
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 skewer
- the bishop can capture the white queen.
- skewers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- skewering participle, present
- skewered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does skewer mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A long pin, normally made of metal or wood, used to secure food during cooking.
- 2
Food served on a skewer.
- 3
A scenario in which a piece attacks a more valuable piece which, if it moves aside, exposes a less valuable piece.
- 4
rareThat which skews something.
verb
- 1
To impale on a skewer.
- 2
To attack a piece which has a less valuable piece behind it.
- 3
To severely mock or discredit.
adjective
- 1
comparative form of skew: more skew
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Skewer in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | brochette, broche , enfilade , embrocher |
| German | Spieß, Spießchen , aufspießen |
| Portuguese | espeto , empalar |
| Spanish | brocheta, fierrito, anticucho, pincho, chuzo, broqueta |
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 skewer come from?
From Middle English skeuier, skuer, likely a variant of Middle English *skever, *skiver (compare Modern English skiver), probably of North Germanic origin, compare Icelandic skífa (“to slice”), Norwegian skive, Swedish skiva, Swedish skifer (“a slate”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).