Twat is an English-language vulgarism which means the vulva or vagina, and is used figuratively as a derogatory epithet. In British English and Irish English it is a common insult referring to an obnoxious or stupid person regardless of gender; in American English, it is rarer and usually used to insult a woman. In Britain and Ireland, the usual pronunciation rhymes with hat, while Americans most often use the older pronunciation that rhymes with squat. This is reflected in the former variant spelling of twot.