swig
/swɪɡ/verb, noun
swig is spelled S-W-I-G: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, swig means “To drink (usually by gulping or in a greedy or unrefined manner); to quaff” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in swig?
| Letters | 4: S-W-I-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 46,473rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is swig?
Swig appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 46,473rd 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 swig?
- US /swɪɡ/
Swig 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: En-us-swig.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with swig?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as swig from its last stressed vowel (/ɪɡ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of swig
- swigs present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- swigging participle, present
- swigged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does swig mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To drink (usually by gulping or in a greedy or unrefined manner); to quaff.
That sailor can swig whisky with the best of 'em.
- 2
obsoleteTo suck.
- 3
To take up the last bit of slack in rigging by taking a single turn around a cleat, then hauling on the line above and below the cleat while keeping tension on the line.
noun
- 1
obsoleteDrink, liquor.
- 2
A long draught from a drink.
take a swig of whisky
- 3
obsoleteA person who drinks deeply.
- 4
A tackle with ropes which are not parallel.
- 5
Warm beer flavoured with spices, lemon, etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Swig in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | lamper , lampée |
| Portuguese | dar uma golada , golada |
| German | Schluck, Zug |
| Spanish | lingotazo, mecatazo, tanganazo, farolazo, pelotazo, latigazo |
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 swig come from?
Unknown, mid 16th c. Perhaps connected with Old English swelgan (“to swallow”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).