squawk

/skwɔːk/

//skwɔːk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“squawk” is uncommon English (frequency #58,381 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,381
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird. If made by a bird, it typically signals discomfort or anger; a yell, scream, or call.

Corpus desk

Index EN-squawk · squawk · English

squawk · rank #58,381 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,381
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH squier

Nearest frequency peer: squier (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “squawk”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “squawk” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for squawk
PropertyValue
Headwordsquawk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/skwɔːk/
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,381
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “squawk” in English

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).squawkfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “squier” (#58,382), “spoofed” (#58,379), “stabler” (#58,384). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “squawk” is #58,381. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

squawk is uncommon English at frequency #58,381 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /skwɔːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for squawk in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1821. Unknown, but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”) and English quack). The correct English form is squawk, spelled S-Q-U-A-W-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird. If made by a bird, it typically signals discomfort or anger; a yell, scream, or call.
  2. 2
    A four-digit transponder code used by aircraft for identification or transmission of emergency signals.
  3. 3
    A complaint or objection.
  4. 4
    An issue or complaint related to aircraft maintenance.
  5. 5
    The American night heron.
  6. 6
    A warning message indicating a possible error.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That was the last roundup for McCutcheon’s Cresswell; it never moved from that field again. Not that there was any squawk from the landlord; the two of them owned it, of course.
  2. We think instructors should stress the importance of writeups on all maintenance squawks after the completion of each flight. More important, something should be done by the aircraft operator to correct such squawks.

Etymology

First attested in 1821. Unknown, but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”) and English quack).

This word in other languages

graznido(Español)Krächzen(Deutsch)

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 "squawk"?
"squawk" is spelled S-Q-U-A-W-K. The IPA pronunciation is /skwɔːk/.
What does "squawk" mean?
As a noun, "squawk" means: A shrill noise, especially made by a voice or bird. If made by a bird, it typically signals discomfort or anger; a yell, scream, or call.
How do you pronounce "squawk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "squawk" is /skwɔːk/. 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 "squawk"?
First attested in 1821. Unknown, but probably of imitative origin (compare dialectal Italian squacco (“small-crested heron”) and English quack). 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 "squawk", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

squier#58,382stache#58,385snaked#58,371supine#58,396

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list