chackle: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Very RareDialectal / Archaic / Literary
Quick answer
What does “chackle” mean?
To make a sharp, clucking, or chuckling sound.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To make a sharp, clucking, or chuckling sound; a loud, guttural, clucking sound, especially of a bird.
To laugh with a broken, guttural sound; to chuckle or cluck audibly.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare in both varieties. Possibly slightly more attested in older British dialects and poetry.
Connotations
Evokes rustic, old-fashioned, or animal-like sounds.
Frequency
Extremely low-frequency word, unlikely to be encountered in modern text or speech.
Grammar
How to Use “chackle” in a Sentence
[Subject] chacklesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “chackle” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The old hen would chackle softly in the coop.
- He began to chackle with a strange, rasping laugh.
American English
- The guinea fowl chackled from the fence post.
- She chackled at the memory, a dry sound in her throat.
adverb
British English
- No established adverbial use.
American English
- No established adverbial use.
adjective
British English
- No established adjectival use.
American English
- No established adjectival use.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Not used, except perhaps in historical linguistics or dialectology.
Everyday
Virtually never used in modern everyday conversation.
Technical
Not used in technical contexts.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “chackle”
- Misspelling as 'chuckle' or 'cackle'.
- Using it as a common modern verb for laughing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but it is very rare, dialectal, and largely archaic. It is found in some dictionaries and older literary works.
'Cackle' is more common and often implies a loud, shrill, broken laugh (like a witch or hen). 'Chackle' is rarer and can imply a drier, more guttural or clucking sound.
Only for very specific stylistic effect, such as in poetry, historical fiction, or to evoke a rustic dialect. In all other contexts, 'cluck', 'chuckle', or 'cackle' are more appropriate and understandable.
Yes, though even rarer. It can refer to the sound itself, e.g., 'the chackle of the grouse'.
To make a sharp, clucking, or chuckling sound.
Chackle is usually dialectal / archaic / literary in register.
Chackle: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtʃak(ə)l/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtʃækəl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a chicken's 'cluck' meeting a 'chuckle' - a CHicken chUCKLE = CHACKLE.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOUND IS ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (LAUGHTER IS BIRD-LIKE VOCALIZATION)
Practice
Quiz
The word 'chackle' is best described as: