Let p(⋅):Rn→(0,∞] be a variable exponent function satisfying the globally log-Hölder continuous condition and q∈(0,1]. The goal of this article is to characterize the variable Hardy–Lorentz space Hp(⋅),q(Rn) in terms of various intrinsic square functions including the intrinsic g-function, the intrinsic Lusin area integral and the intrinsic gλ⁎-function. Using the intrinsic square function and the known atomic characterizations of Hp(⋅),q(Rn), and establishing some estimates on a discrete Littlewood–Paley g-function and a Peetre-type maximal function, the authors further give several equivalent characterizations of Hp(⋅),q(Rn) via wavelets. What is different from the existing works is that we merely assume p+=ess supx∈Rnp(x)∈(0,∞). One of the important tools that make it possible is to find a new dual space of Hp(⋅),q(Rn).