turmoil
/ˈtɜːmɔɪl/noun
turmoil is spelled T-U-R-M-O-I-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, turmoil means “A state of great disorder or uncertainty” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of turmoil is turmoils.
How many letters and syllables are in turmoil?
| Letters | 7: T-U-R-M-O-I-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.3 times per million words; the 14,509th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is turmoil?
Turmoil appears 3.3 times per million words in written English, the 14,509th 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 turmoil?
- UK /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/
Turmoil has 2 syllables (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-turmoil.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of turmoil
- turmoils plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- turmoiling participle, present
- turmoiled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does turmoil mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A state of great disorder or uncertainty.
- 2
Harassing labor; trouble; disturbance.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo be disquieted or confused; to be in commotion.
- 2
obsoleteTo harass with commotion; to disquiet; to worry.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Turmoil in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense a state of great disorder or uncertainty:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | chaos, désordre, tourmente, tumulte |
| German | Aufruhr, Tumult, Unruhe, Unordnung |
| Portuguese | desordem, tumulto, caos |
| Spanish | desorden, turbulencia, dificultad, tumulto, julepe |
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 turmoil come from?
Unknown. First appears c. 1526. Perhaps from Old French tremouille (“the hopper of a mill”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).