welt
/wɛlt/noun, verb
welt is spelled W-E-L-T: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,063rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, welt means “A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow or insect bite” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of welt is welts.
How many letters and syllables are in welt?
| Letters | 4: W-E-L-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,063rd 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 welt?
Welt appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,063rd 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 welt?
- /wɛlt/
Welt has one syllable (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-welt.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of welt
- welts present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- welting participle, present
- welted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does welt mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A ridge or lump on the skin, as caused by a blow or insect bite.
- 2
A strip, especially one around the edge of something (for example, in some old heraldry).
… round about a border of Purple Veluet, with Floure de luces of Gold, embrodred to the full, with a welt and bordure of Ermines foure fingers broad. / Vpon the last named cloath or Couerlet of St / …
- 3
A strip of leather set into the seam between the outsole of a shoe and the upper, through which these parts are joined by stitching or stapling.
- 4
A strip of material or covered cord applied to a seam or garment edge to strengthen or cover it.
[…] surmounted of another Azure: but in my Judgment, it rather represents a Hem, or Welt of a Belt, or an Edg of Silver, than two Belts one upon another; which the Bend properly signifie […]
- 5
In steam boilers and sheet-iron work, a strip riveted upon the edges of plates that form a butt joint.
- 6
In carpentry, a strip of wood fastened over a flush seam or joint, or an angle, to strengthen it.
- 7
In machine-made stockings, a strip, or flap, of which the heel is formed.
- 8
obsoleteA shoe made with a welt (strip of leather set into the seam).
verb
- 1
To cause to have welts; to beat.
- 2
To install welt (a welt or welts) to reinforce.
- 3
obsoleteTo roll; revolve.
- 4
UKarchaicTo decay.
- 5
UKarchaicTo become stringy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Welt in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | zébrure, marque de coup |
| German | Quaddel, Strieme , falten, falzen |
| Spanish | roncha, habón |
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 welt come from?
First use appears c. 1425, a shoemaker's term. Perhaps related to Middle English welten (“to overturn, roll over”), from Old Norse velta (“to roll”). Meaning "ridge on the skin from a wound" first recorded 1800.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).