changeling
change·ling/ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/noun
changeling is spelled C-H-A-N-G-E-L-I-N-G: 10 letters and 2 syllables (change·ling). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 48,230th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, changeling means “In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of changeling is changelings.
How many letters and syllables are in changeling?
| Letters | 10: C-H-A-N-G-E-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: change·ling |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 48,230th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is changeling?
Changeling appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 48,230th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce changeling?
- UK /ˈtʃeɪn(d)ʒlɪŋ/
- US /ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒlɪŋ/
Changeling has 2 syllables, split change·ling in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-changeling.oga, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of changeling
- changelings plural
- more changeling comparative
- most changeling superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does changeling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
In pre-modern European folklore: an infant of a magical creature that was secretly exchanged for a human infant. In British, Irish and Scandinavian mythology the exchanged infants were thought to be those of fairies, sprites or trolls; in other places, they were ascribed to demons, devils, or witches.
- 2
A person or object (especially when regarded as inferior) secretly exchanged for something else.
- 3
informalrareAn infant secretly exchanged with another infant deliberately or by mistake; a swapling.
- 4
An organism which can change shape to mimic others; a shape-shifter.
- 5
archaicA person apt to change their loyalty or thinking; a waverer.
- 6
obsoleteAn idiot, a simpleton.
adjective
- 1
archaicrareChangeable, fickle, inconstant, wavering.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Changeling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense infant of a magical creature secretly exchanged for a human infant:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | changelin, changeling |
| German | Dickkopf, Kielkropf, Wechselbalg, Wechselkind |
| Spanish | niño cambiado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does changeling come from?
The noun is derived from change + -ling (suffix with the sense ‘immature; small’). Sense 6 (“idiot, simpleton”) is from the idea that foolish children had been left by magical creatures (sense 1). The adjective is derived from the noun.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).