waddle
/ˈwɑd.əl/noun, verb
waddle is spelled W-A-D-D-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 48,230th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, waddle means “A squat, swaying gait” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of waddle is waddles.
How many letters and syllables are in waddle?
| Letters | 6: W-A-D-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 48,230th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
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 waddle?
Waddle appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 48,230th 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 waddle?
- UK /ˈwɒd.əl/
- US /ˈwɑd.əl/
- US [ˈwɑɾ.ɫ̩]
Waddle 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-waddle.ogg, En-au-waddle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with waddle?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as waddle from its last stressed vowel (/ɑdəl/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: dawdle.
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 waddle
- waddles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- waddling participle, present
- waddled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does waddle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A squat, swaying gait.
the waddle of a duck
- 2
A group of birds, such as ducks and penguins, when walking.
verb
- 1
To walk with short steps, tilting the body from side to side.
- 2
To move slowly.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Waddle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | watschelnder Gang, Watscheln , watscheln |
| Spanish | andadura de ánade , tambalearse, dar traspiés, anadear |
| French | se dandiner |
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 waddle come from?
From Middle English wadelen, frequentative form of waden, equivalent to wade + -le. Compare Saterland Frisian wuttelje (“to waddle”), Old High German wadalōn (“to roam; wander”), Middle High German wadelen, wedelen (“to wander; rove”), German wedeln (“to waggle”). First known use in English in a version of the Song of Roland around the year 1400.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).