sprankle

sprankle pronunciation

/SPRANG-kul/

Meaning

Same job as sprinkle, just said the mountain way. You sprankle salt on meat, flour on a biscuit board, or water on dusty ground. The vowel shifts from "i" to "a," so it rhymes closer with "rankle" than "wrinkle." Kitchen talk and porch talk both use it without blinking.

How folks use it

• “Sprankle a little salt on that side meat before you fry it.”
• “Mama told me to sprankle flour on the counter so the dough wouldn't stick.”

Origin and etymology

Mostly a Southern and Appalachian pronunciation spelling of sprinkle. The vowel change shows up in Kentucky and other mountain speech (Wayword Radio even covered kids saying "sprankles" for cupcake toppings). Older English had a Middle English verb sprankle too, but today's country use is the dialect take on sprinkle, not a revival of that old word.

Frequently asked questions