waggle
/ˈwaɡəl/verb, noun
waggle is spelled W-A-G-G-L-E: 6 letters. It appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 87,317th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, waggle means “To move (something) with short, quick motions; to wobble” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in waggle?
| Letters | 6: W-A-G-G-L-E |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 9 million words; the 87,317th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is waggle?
Waggle appears about once in every 9 million words in written English, the 87,317th 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 waggle?
- UK /ˈwaɡəl/
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-waggle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of waggle
- waggles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- waggling participle, present
- waggled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does waggle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To move (something) with short, quick motions; to wobble.
- 2
To quickly raise and lower in rapid succession, usually as an implication of slyness, smugness, or suggestiveness.
- 3
To reel, sway, or move from side to side; to move with a wagging motion; to waddle.
noun
- 1
An instance of waggling.
- 2
A wobbling motion.
Give the cable a waggle to let it come out quicker.
- 3
The preliminary swinging of the club head back and forth over the ball in the line of the proposed stroke.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Waggle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense move with short, quick motions; wobble:
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 waggle come from?
From Middle English wagelen (attested in wagelyng), possibly a borrowing of Middle Low German wagelen; equivalent to wag + -le (“(frequentative)”). Compare continental equivalents Middle High German wacken ( > Danish vakle, German wackeln), Swedish vagla, West Frisian waggelje, Low German wackeln, Dutch waggelen.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).