tattle
tat·tle/ˈtætl̩/verb, noun
tattle is spelled T-A-T-T-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (tat·tle). It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 63,645th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, tattle means “To chatter; to gossip” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in tattle?
| Letters | 6: T-A-T-T-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: tat·tle |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 63,645th 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; 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 tattle?
Tattle appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 63,645th 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 tattle?
- UK /ˈtæt(ə)l/
- US /ˈtætl̩/
- US [-æɾl̩]
Tattle has 2 syllables, split tat·tle in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-tattle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with tattle?
2 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as tattle from its last stressed vowel (/ætl/):
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 tattle
- tattles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- tattling participle, present
- tattled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tattle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To chatter; to gossip.
- 2
CanadaUSderogatoryOften said of children: to report incriminating information about another person, or a person's wrongdoing in an annoying fashion, usually to a person in a position of authority over the accused person; to tell on somebody.
- 3
obsoleteTo speak like a baby or young child; to babble, to prattle; to speak haltingly; to stutter.
noun
- 1
A tattletale.
- 2
CanadaUSderogatoryOften said of children: a piece of incriminating information or an account of wrongdoing that is said about another person.
- 3
Idle talk; gossip; (countable) an instance of such talk or gossip.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tattle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | klatschen, tratschen , petzen , Klatsch, Tratsch |
| Portuguese | bisbilhotar , dedurar, delatar |
| Spanish | charlotear , delatar, soplar, chivarse, lambonear |
| French | cafarder, cafter, moucharder |
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 tattle come from?
From Middle Dutch tatelen, tateren (“to babble, chatter”) (modern Dutch tatelen, tateren (“to talk, chatter”)), originally imitative. The word is cognate with Saterland Frisian tätelje (“to talk nonsense, babble”), Middle Low German tāteren, tadderen (“to babble, chatter”) (whence modern German Low German tatern (“to chatter”)), Low German tateln, täteln (“to cackle, gabble”). Compare also Middle English dadel, dadull (“tattling, gossip”), and its alteration twaddle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).