spiral
/ˈspaɪɹəl/noun, adjective, verb
spiral is spelled S-P-I-R-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, spiral means “A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of spiral is spirals.
How many letters and syllables are in spiral?
| Letters | 6: S-P-I-R-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 7.1 times per million words; the 8,918th 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 spiral?
Spiral appears 7.1 times per million words in written English, the 8,918th 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 spiral?
- US /ˈspaɪɹəl/
- Australia /ˈspɑɪɹəl/
Spiral 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-spiral.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with spiral
Also written: spiralling.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with spiral?
One word on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as spiral from its last stressed vowel (/aɪɹəl/):
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 spiral
- spirals plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- spiraling US, participle, present
- spiralling UK, participle, present
- spiraled US, participle, past
- spiralled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does spiral mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A curve that is the locus of a point that rotates about a fixed point while continuously increasing its distance from that point.
- 2
informalA helix.
- 3
A self-sustaining process with a lot of momentum involved, so it is difficult to accelerate or stop it at once.
- 4
A section of track that forms a circle and crosses over itself, used for gaining height in mountainous territory.
adjective
- 1
Helical, like a spiral.
verb
- 1
To move along the path of a spiral or helix.
The falling leaves spiralled down from the tree.
- 2
To cause something to spiral.
You need to learn how to spiral a ball.
- 3
To increase continually.
Her debts were spiralling out of control.
- 4
To decline mentally.
She spiralled into a deep depression.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Spiral in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | spirale , hélice , spiraler |
| German | Spirale , Helix |
| Portuguese | espiral |
| Spanish | espiral , hélice |
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 spiral come from?
From Middle French spirale, from Medieval Latin spiralis, from Latin spīra, from Ancient Greek σπεῖρα (speîra, “wreath, coil, twist”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).