Standard Lemma guide

rale

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ɹɑːl/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: /ɹɑl/
  • US: /ɹæl/
  • US: /ɹeɪl/
  • Northern-California: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɑːl
  • rhymes with -æl
  • rhymes with -eɪl

1

noun

Meaning 1

An abnormal clicking, rattling or crackling sound, made by one or both lungs and heard with a stethoscope, caused by the popping open of airways collapsed by fluid or exudate, or sometimes by pulmonary edema.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: in-plural

Topics: medicine, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the death rattle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: rattle, rattling

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: noise

Narrower terms: crepitation rale

History

Etymology

From French râle (“groan”).

Across languages

Translations

18 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: كراكر — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Catalan: crepitant — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Catalan: ranera — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Chinese Mandarin: 囉音 /啰音 (luōyīn) — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Finnish: rahina — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • French: crépitants — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • French: râle — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • German: Rasselgeräusch — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Italian: rantolo — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Japanese: 囉音 (raon) — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Persian: کراکل (kerâkel) — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Polish: rzężenia — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Portuguese: rala — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Russian: хрип (xrip) — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Spanish: crepitante — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Swedish: rassel — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Thai: เสียงแซมหายใจ (sǐiang sɛɛm hǎai jai) — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope
  • Turkish: ral — abnormal sound made by lungs and heard with a stethoscope