What is the correct plural of 'ladleful'?

Both 'ladlefuls' and 'ladlesful' are historically found, but 'ladlefuls' is the standard and more common modern plural (e.g., 'three ladlefuls of soup').

Can 'ladleful' be used for dry ingredients?

It is atypical. 'Ladleful' strongly collocates with liquids or semi-liquids (soup, stew, sauce). For dry ingredients like rice or flour, 'scoop', 'cupful', or 'spoonful' are more natural.

Is 'ladleful' a formal word?

No, it belongs to an informal or culinary register. In formal or scientific writing, precise metric or imperial volumes (millilitres, cups) would be preferred.

What's the difference between 'a ladle' and 'a ladleful'?

'A ladle' is the utensil itself (the tool). 'A ladleful' is the amount of substance that fits in that utensil (the measure). Example: 'Pick up the ladle (tool) and give me a ladleful (amount) of soup.'

ladleful

Low

UK/ˈleɪd(ə)lfʊl/US/ˈleɪd(ə)lˌfʊl/

Informal, Culinary

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

The amount of liquid or soft food that a ladle can hold.

A measure of quantity, specifically the contents of one ladle, used for serving soups, stews, sauces, or other liquid-based foods. It can also be used figuratively to describe a generous portion or serving of something abstract, like advice or praise.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

A unit noun (also called a 'measure' or 'partitive' noun) derived from the tool 'ladle'. It specifies quantity by the container. It is countable (ladlefuls/ladlesful). The focus is on the contained amount, not the tool itself.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in core meaning. The plural forms 'ladlefuls' and 'ladlesful' are both accepted, with 'ladlefuls' being more common in modern usage in both regions.

Connotations

Neutral in both; purely descriptive of quantity. Slightly more likely to be heard in a domestic or traditional cooking context.

Frequency

Equally low-frequency in both dialects. It is a precise term used when the specific measure is relevant, often in recipes or informal serving instructions.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

a ladleful of soupa ladleful of stewa ladleful of brotha ladleful of gravy

medium

add a ladlefulserve a ladlefultake a ladlefulpour a ladleful

weak

a ladleful of saucea ladleful of stocka generous ladlefula small ladleful

Grammar

Valency Patterns

[VERB] + a ladleful + of + [NOUN (liquid/food)][DETERMINER] + ladleful + of + [NOUN]

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

ladlescoop (as a quantity)

Neutral

servingportionhelping

Weak

spoonful (for smaller amounts)cupful (for standardised measure)

Vocabulary

Antonyms

dropdashpinchspeck

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“Not every ladleful is for the pot. (Figurative, suggesting not every bit of effort or resource goes to the main goal.)”

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Virtually never used.

Academic

Rare, possibly in historical or ethnographic texts describing food practices.

Everyday

Used in home cooking contexts, when serving food, or in informal recipe instructions.

Technical

Used in culinary arts and recipe writing to specify approximate measures.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

(Not applicable as a verb)

American English

(Not applicable as a verb)

adverb

British English

(Not applicable as an adverb)

American English

(Not applicable as an adverb)

adjective

British English

(Not applicable as a pure adjective. Used in compound noun constructions like 'a two-ladleful recipe'.)

American English

(Not applicable as a pure adjective. Used in compound noun constructions like 'a two-ladleful serving'.)

Examples

By CEFR Level

Here is a ladleful of soup for you.
The recipe needs one ladleful of water.

She served everyone a generous ladleful of the hot stew.
Can you add a ladleful of the pasta sauce to the pan?

After simmering for hours, the first ladleful of broth was incredibly rich and flavourful.
He dispensed advice with the generosity of someone serving ladlefuls of gravy.

The chef meticulously adjusted the seasoning, tasting a mere ladleful from the vast stockpot.
Her speech was a thick gruel of platitudes, and the audience was forced to swallow every ladleful.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think: A LADLE is FULL. A 'ladleful' is simply what fills it.

Conceptual Metaphor

KNOWLEDGE/ADVICE IS NOURISHMENT (e.g., 'He gave me a ladleful of wisdom').

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid translating it as just 'ladle' (ковш, половник). You must convey the quantity: 'полный ковш', 'половник (чего-либо)'.
Do not confuse with 'spoonful' (ложка), which is a smaller measure.

Common Mistakes

Using 'ladle' as the quantity (e.g., 'Add one ladle' instead of 'Add one ladleful').
Incorrect plural: 'ladlefuls' is preferred over 'ladlesful'.
Using it for solid, non-liquid foods where 'scoop' might be better.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The recipe instructs you to add one of stock to the risotto and stir.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is the most accurate use of 'ladleful'?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Both 'ladlefuls' and 'ladlesful' are historically found, but 'ladlefuls' is the standard and more common modern plural (e.g., 'three ladlefuls of soup').
: It is atypical. 'Ladleful' strongly collocates with liquids or semi-liquids (soup, stew, sauce). For dry ingredients like rice or flour, 'scoop', 'cupful', or 'spoonful' are more natural.
: No, it belongs to an informal or culinary register. In formal or scientific writing, precise metric or imperial volumes (millilitres, cups) would be preferred.
: 'A ladle' is the utensil itself (the tool). 'A ladleful' is the amount of substance that fits in that utensil (the measure). Example: 'Pick up the ladle (tool) and give me a ladleful (amount) of soup.'