squall

/ˈskwɔːl/

//ˈskwɔːl// verb

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

"squall" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“squall” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,384. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,384
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cry or wail loudly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-squall · squall · English

squall · rank #43,384 · 7 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,384
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH spina

Nearest frequency peer: spina (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “squall”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “squall” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

squall vs stall
67% similar
squall vs squat
67% similar
squall vs squaw
67% similar

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

Key facts for squall
PropertyValue
Headwordsquall
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈskwɔːl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#43,384
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “squall”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).squalllands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “spina” (#43,383), “SST” (#43,385), “spastic” (#43,381). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “squall” is #43,384. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around squall (IPA /ˈskwɔːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #43,384 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for squall, with forms such as "qsuall", "sqaull", and "sqquall". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 12 confusable-pair relationships, "stall", "squat", "squaw", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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. Cognate with Swedish skvala (“to gush, pour down”), Norwegian skval (“sudden rush o… The correct English form is squall, spelled S-Q-U-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cry or wail loudly.
  2. 2
    To fall suddenly and forcefully, as if a squall.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how squall appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Squalling was the word for it, Pew's anger rose so high at these objections; till at last, his passion completely taking the upper hand, he struck at them right and left in his blindness, and his stick sounded heavily on more than one.
  2. Squalling like an infuriated cat, the shadow crashed down

Etymology

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. Cognate with Swedish skvala (“to gush, pour down”), Norwegian skval (“sudden rush of water”). The noun is probably from the verb.

This word in other languages

hurler(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • qsuall
  • sqaull
  • sqquall
  • squal
  • squlal
  • ssquall
  • suqall

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of squall - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

qsuall2sqaull2sqquall1squal1squlal2ssquall1suqall2
Edit distance from "squall"

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 "squall"?
"squall" is spelled S-Q-U-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskwɔːl/.
What does "squall" mean?
As a verb, "squall" means: To cry or wail loudly.
What words are commonly confused with "squall"?
"squall" is commonly confused with "stall", "squat", "squaw". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "squall"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "squall" is /ˈskwɔːl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "squall"?
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. Cognate with Swedish skvala (“to gush, pour down”), Norwegian skval (“sud... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "squall", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

snares#43,377sloths#43,375skewer#43,374signet#43,370

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Seaton7 variantsTegan7 variantssalvia7 variantsroomy7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list