squiggle

/ˈskwɪɡl̩/

//ˈskwɪɡl̩// noun

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

"squiggle" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“squiggle” is uncommon English (frequency #85,806 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,806
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A short twisting or wiggling line or mark.

Corpus desk

Index EN-squiggle · squiggle · English

squiggle · rank #85,806 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,806
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH splay

Nearest frequency peer: splay (-2 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 “squiggle”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for squiggle
PropertyValue
Headwordsquiggle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈskwɪɡl̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#85,806
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “squiggle” 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).squigglefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “splay” (#85,804), “standoffish” (#85,809), “statutorily” (#85,811). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “squiggle” is #85,806. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

squiggle is uncommon English at frequency #85,806 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈskwɪɡl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

squiggle doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably a blend of squirm + wiggle. The correct English form is squiggle, spelled S-Q-U-I-G-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A short twisting or wiggling line or mark.
  2. 2
    Synonym of tilde.
  3. 3
    An illegible scrawl.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Even the cold ashes where a gipsy's fire had been sent little squiggles of fear down Laura's spine, for how could she know that they were not still lurking near with designs upon her own person?

Etymology

Probably a blend of squirm + wiggle.

This word in other languages

tilde(Español)Gekritzel(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 "squiggle"?
"squiggle" is spelled S-Q-U-I-G-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈskwɪɡl̩/.
What does "squiggle" mean?
As a noun, "squiggle" means: A short twisting or wiggling line or mark.
How do you pronounce "squiggle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "squiggle" is /ˈskwɪɡl̩/. 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 "squiggle"?
Probably a blend of squirm + wiggle. 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 "squiggle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sublease#85,822shoplift#85,772tantalus#85,846Togolese#85,862

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list