cockle

/ˈkɒkl̩/

//ˈkɒkl̩// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"cockle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“cockle” is uncommon English (frequency #63,514 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,514
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.

Key facts for cockle
PropertyValue
Headwordcockle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɒkl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#63,514
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cockle” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). cockle lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

cockle is uncommon English at frequency #63,514 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɒkl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 9 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for cockle, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English cokel, cokkel, kokkel, cocle, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a diminutive of Middle English cokke, cok (“cockle”), from Old English cocc (found in sǣcocc (“cockle”)) + -le; or perhaps from Old French coquille, from Vulgar Latin *cocchilia,… The correct English form is cockle, spelled C-O-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.
  2. 2
    The shell of such a mollusk.
  3. 3
    A wrinkle, pucker
  4. 4
    A defect in sheepskin; firm dark nodules caused by the bites of keds on live sheep
  5. 5
    Chiefly in cockles of someone's heart: a person's innermost feelings.
  6. 6
    The dome of a heating furnace.
  7. 7
    The fire chamber of a furnace.
  8. 8
    A kiln for drying hops; an oast.
  9. 9
    The mineral black tourmaline or schorl.

Etymology

From Middle English cokel, cokkel, kokkel, cocle, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a diminutive of Middle English cokke, cok (“cockle”), from Old English cocc (found in sǣcocc (“cockle”)) + -le; or perhaps from Old French coquille, from Vulgar Latin *cocchilia, from conchylia, from Ancient Greek κογχύλιον (konkhúlion), diminutive of κογχύλη (konkhúlē, “mussel”), of Pre-Greek substrate origin.

This word in other languages

berberecho(Español)coque(Français)berbigão(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cockle"?
"cockle" is spelled C-O-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɒkl̩/.
What does "cockle" mean?
As a noun, "cockle" means: Any of various edible European bivalve mollusks, of the family Cardiidae, having heart-shaped shells.
How do you pronounce "cockle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cockle" is /ˈkɒkl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "cockle"?
From Middle English cokel, cokkel, kokkel, cocle, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a diminutive of Middle English cokke, cok (“cockle”), from Old English cocc (found in sǣcocc (“cockle”)) + -le; or perhaps from Old French coquille, from Vulgar Latin *... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cockle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is C-O-C-K-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɒkl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list