squall
/ˈskwɔːl/verb, noun
squall is spelled S-Q-U-A-L-L: 6 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 43,187th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, squall means “To cry or wail loudly” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in squall?
| Letters | 6: S-Q-U-A-L-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (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 |
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 squall?
Squall 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 squall?
- /ˈskwɔːl/
Squall has one syllable (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-squall.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of squall
- squalls present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- squalling participle, present
- squalled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does squall mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To cry or wail loudly.
- 2
To fall suddenly and forcefully, as if a squall.
noun
- 1
A sudden storm, as found in a squall line.
- 2
A squall line, multicell line, or part of a squall line.
- 3
A loud cry or wail.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Squall in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hurler, brailler , grain, bourrasque |
| Spanish | chillar , tormenta, borrasca |
| German | Böe, Sturmböe |
| Portuguese | borrasca, lufada, tormenta |
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 squall come from?
From Middle English *squalen and squelen (“to cry, scream, squall”), from Old Norse skvala (“to cry out”), probably ultimately imitative with influence from squeal and bawl.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).