snorkel
noun, verb
snorkel is spelled S-N-O-R-K-E-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, snorkel means “A hollow tube, held in the mouth, or mounted on and opening into a diving mask, used by swimmers for breathing underwater” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of snorkel is snorkels.
How many letters and syllables are in snorkel?
| Letters | 7: S-N-O-R-K-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,680th 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 snorkel?
Snorkel appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th 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 snorkel?
- US
Snorkel 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-snorkel.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of snorkel
- snorkels plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- snorkeling US, participle, present
- snorkelling UK, participle, present
- snorkeled US, participle, past
- snorkelled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does snorkel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A hollow tube, held in the mouth, or mounted on and opening into a diving mask, used by swimmers for breathing underwater.
They wore snorkels while exploring the coral reef.
- 2
A retractable tube fitted in diesel-engine submarines to allow sufficient ventilation that the engines may be used at periscope depth.
- 3
A snorkel parka.
verb
- 1
To use a snorkel.
We spent the afternoon snorkeling in the clear blue waters.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Snorkel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | tuba, prise d'air |
| German | Schnorchel , schnorcheln |
| Portuguese | snorkel |
| Spanish | tubo de buceo, snorkel, esnórkel, esnórquel , snorkelear, esnorkelear |
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 snorkel come from?
Borrowed from German Schnorchel (“(submarine) snorkel”), related to schnarchen (“to snore”). Thus named because of the submarine snorkel's functional similarity to a nose and because of its noise when in use. The anglicized spelling was first recorded in 1945. See, for example, Mark S. Watson, "New Epoch in Sea War", The Baltimore Sun, December 31, 1945, p. 8: "The Germans' earlier quest of the last important objective, it will be remembered, had produced the Snorkel, a long exhaust tube whose vent reached above water and permitted a submerged vessel to discharge its Diesel fumes in open air."
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).