vassal
/ˈvæsəl/noun, adjective, verb
vassal is spelled V-A-S-S-A-L: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, vassal means “The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically)…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of vassal is vassals.
How many letters and syllables are in vassal?
| Letters | 6: V-A-S-S-A-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 31,974th 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 vassal?
Vassal appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 31,974th 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 vassal?
- /ˈvæsəl/
Vassal 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-vassal.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vassal
- vassals plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- vasal rare
- vassaling US, participle, present
- vassalling UK, participle, present
- vassaled US, participle, past
- vassalled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vassal mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The grantee of a fief, a subordinate granted use of a superior's land and its income in exchange for vows of fidelity and homage and (typically) military service.
The manor's vassals owed first fruits and a tithe to the parish church, another 10% to the lord (including at least 50 eels), a week or two each year of service in the manor's upkeep, and service in the local fyrd.
- 2
Any direct subordinate bound by such vows to a superior.
The king ordered his vassals to join him on the crusade unless they had a written note signed by the archbishop or pope.
- 3
Any subordinate bound by similar close ties.
adjective
- 1
Resembling a vassal; slavish; servile.
verb
- 1
To treat as a vassal or to reduce to the position of a vassal; to subject to control; to enslave.
- 2
To subordinate to someone or something.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vassal in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | vassal , vassaliser |
| German | Vasall, Lehnsmann, Gefolgsmann, Gefolgsleute, Höriger, Klient |
| Portuguese | vassalo , servo |
| Spanish | vasallo , avasallar |
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 vassal come from?
From Middle English vassal, from Old French vassal, from Medieval Latin vassallus (“manservant, domestic, retainer”), from Latin vassus (“servant”), from Gaulish *wassos (“young man, squire”), from Proto-Celtic *wastos (“servant”) (compare Old Irish foss and Welsh gwas).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).