vigil
/ˈvɪd͡ʒəl/noun, verb
vigil is spelled V-I-G-I-L: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, vigil means “An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of vigil is vigils.
How many letters and syllables are in vigil?
| Letters | 5: V-I-G-I-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.7 times per million words; the 21,209th 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 vigil?
Vigil appears 1.7 times per million words in written English, the 21,209th 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 vigil?
- /ˈvɪd͡ʒəl/
Vigil 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-vigil.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of vigil
- vigils plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- vigiling US, participle, present
- vigilling UK, participle, present
- vigiled US, participle, past
- vigilled UK, participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does vigil mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An instance of keeping awake during normal sleeping hours, especially to keep watch or pray.
- 2
A period of observation or surveillance at any hour.
His dog kept vigil outside the hospital for eight days while he was recovering from an accident.
- 3
The eve of a religious festival in which staying awake is part of the ritual devotions.
- 4
A quiet demonstration in support of a cause.
The protesters kept vigil outside the conference centre in which the party congress was being held.
verb
- 1
To participate in a vigil.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Vigil in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | veille , veillée |
| German | Wache, Nachtwache , Vigil |
| Portuguese | vigília , vigia |
| Spanish | vigilia , víspera |
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 vigil come from?
From Middle English vigile (“a devotional watching”), from Old French vigile, from Latin vigilia (“wakefulness, watch”), from vigil (“awake”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”). Doublet of Wigilia. See also wake and vigor, from the same root.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).