In Southern and Appalachian speech, sprankle means to lightly scatter or apply something - such as water, salt, sugar, flour, or even bits of food. It’s a rustic regional variant of "sprinkle" still used across rural areas and among older speakers.
synonyms: sprinkle, scatter, dust, spatter, shake on
Hillbilly Dude Says...
'Sprankle' is one you'd normally hear from folks out in the country. Like 'watch out for that sprankler, you'll be soppin' wet!'
Hillbilly Dude Says...
'Sprankle' is one you'd normally hear from folks out in the country. Like 'watch out for that sprankler, you'll be soppin' wet!'
Pronunciation
[SPRANG-kul]
/ˈspræŋkəl/
Meaning & Usage
- To lightly scatter or apply something (verb)
Cooking and chores
Granny:
Sprankle a little bacon on them taters - don’t drown ‘em.
Jess:
Got it, Granny. Just a light spranklin’.
variations: sprankled, sprankling, sprankler
★ If someone says "just a sprankle," they mean a pinch, dash, or splash - never too much. It’s the mountain way of saying "easy does it." ★
Origin and Etymology
A Southern and Appalachian variant of the English verb "sprinkle." The vowel change ("i" → "a") and the nasal quality ("spran-") reflect Scots-Irish influence and long-standing regional pronunciation patterns. Recorded in Appalachian speech since at least the late 1800s, "sprankle" has endured as a mark of rural dialect.
Usage Notes
"Sprankle" can describe scattering nearly any small substance - from flour to feed to raindrops. The word’s charm lies in its sound: lively, practical, and down-to-earth. It reflects the flexibility of Southern English, where phonetic shifts often turn standard words into local treasures.
Yes, though "sprankle" is the older, regional form common in Appalachian and rural Southern English.
Can it be used for dry things like salt or sugar?
Absolutely. People say "sprankle a little salt" or "sprankle some flour" just as naturally as "sprankle some water."
Is "sprankle" still used today?
Yes, especially among older speakers and in rural communities where regional dialects remain strong.
How to Cite This Page
APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 20). Sprankle. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sprankle
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "Sprankle." HillbillySlang.com, 20 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sprankle.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "Sprankle." HillbillySlang.com. October 20, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/definitions/sprankle.
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Created by a true, actual, proper, real-life hillbilly, HillbillySlang is a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia but reaching across the world. Every slang word, saying, accent and story is gathered from first-hand experience and trusted sources. The goal: preserve authentic voices and share them with writers, learners, and culture lovers everywhere - with a little humor thrown in here and there. Read more...
'Sprankle' is one you'd normally hear from folks out in the country. Like 'watch out for that sprankler, you'll be soppin' wet!' 
