snorkel

noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"snorkel" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“snorkel” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,907. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,907
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hollow tube, held in the mouth, or mounted on and opening into a diving mask, used by swimmers for breathing underwater.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

snorkel vs sorrel
71% similar
snorkel vs snore
71% similar
snorkel vs snooker
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for snorkel
PropertyValue
Headwordsnorkel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters7
Frequency rank#42,907
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “snorkel” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). snorkel lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around snorkel, anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,907 among 54,294 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for snorkel, with forms such as "nsorkel", "snnorkel", and "snokrel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "sorrel", "snore", "snooker", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 19… The correct English form is snorkel, spelled S-N-O-R-K-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hollow tube, held in the mouth, or mounted on and opening into a diving mask, used by swimmers for breathing underwater.
  2. 2
    A retractable tube fitted in diesel-engine submarines to allow sufficient ventilation that the engines may be used at periscope depth.
  3. 3
    A snorkel parka.

Etymology

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."

This word in other languages

esnórquel(Español)tuba(Français)Schnorchel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • nsorkel
  • snnorkel
  • snokrel
  • snorekl
  • snorkell
  • snorkkel
  • snorkle
  • snorrkel
  • snrokel
  • sonrkel
  • ssnorkel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of snorkel - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

nsorkel2snnorkel1snokrel2snorekl2snorkell1snorkkel1snorkle2snorrkel1
Edit distance from "snorkel"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "snorkel"?
"snorkel" is spelled S-N-O-R-K-E-L.
What does "snorkel" mean?
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.
What words are commonly confused with "snorkel"?
"snorkel" is commonly confused with "sorrel", "snore", "snooker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "snorkel"?
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 reco... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “snorkel”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-N-O-R-K-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “sorrel” - see the side-by-side comparison. snorkel vs sorrel
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list