squib
/skwɪb/
"squib" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“squib” is an uncommon English word, ranked #67,856 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #67,856
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | squib |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /skwɪb/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #67,856 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “squib” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for squib is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /skwɪb/. Corpus data places it at rank #67,856 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for squib in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Possibly imitative of a small explosion. The correct English form is squib, spelled S-Q-U-I-B.
Definition
- 1A small firework that is intended to spew sparks rather than explode.
- 2A similar device used to ignite an explosive or launch a rocket, etc.
- 3A kind of slow match or safety fuse.
- 4Any small firecracker sold to the general public, usually in special clusters designed to explode in series after a single master fuse is lit.
- 5A malfunction in which the fired projectile does not have enough force behind it to exit the barrel, and thus becomes stuck.
- 6The heating element used to set off the sodium azide pellets in a vehicle's airbag.
- 7In special effects, a small explosive used to replicate a bullet hitting a surface or a gunshot wound on an actor.
- 8A short piece of witty writing; a lampoon.
- 9A writer of lampoons.
- 10In a legal casebook, a short summary of a legal action placed between more extensively quoted cases.
- 11A short article, often published in journals, that introduces theoretically problematic empirical data or discusses an overlooked theoretical problem. In contrast to a typical article, a squib need not answer the questions that it poses.
- 12An unimportant, paltry, or mean-spirited person.
- 13A sketched concept or visual solution, usually very quick and not too detailed.
- 14A coward or wimp.
Etymology
Possibly imitative of a small explosion.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “squib”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-Q-U-I-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /skwɪb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.