# waddle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈwɒd.əl/ · frequency rank #48,556

## Definitions
1. A squat, swaying gait.
2. A group of birds, such as ducks and penguins, when walking.

## Etymology
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:OED online)

## Easily confused with
- **wade** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/waddle-vs-wade)
- **wale** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/waddle-vs-wale)
- **waffle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/waddle-vs-waffle)
- **Waddell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/waddell-vs-waddle)

## Common misspellings (6)
`awddle`, `waddlle`, `wadlde`, `wadle`, `wdadle`, `wwaddle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/waddle