cocoon
/kəˈkuːn/noun, verb
cocoon is spelled C-O-C-O-O-N: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cocoon means “The silky case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, protecting the pupa within” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cocoon is cocoons.
How many letters and syllables are in cocoon?
| Letters | 6: C-O-C-O-O-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.2 times per million words; the 26,092nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is cocoon?
Cocoon appears 1.2 times per million words in written English, the 26,092nd 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 cocoon?
- /kəˈkuːn/
- [kʰɘ̞ˈkʰu̟ːn]
Cocoon has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-cocoon.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with cocoon
Sounds like: kokoon (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of cocoon
- cocoons plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- cocooning participle, present
- cocooned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cocoon mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The silky case spun by the larvae of some insects in which they metamorphose, protecting the pupa within.
- 2
Any similar protective case.
verb
- 1
To envelop in a protective case.
- 2
To withdraw into such a case.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cocoon in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense protective case spun by the larvae of some insects:
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 cocoon come from?
From French cocon, a diminutive of coque (“shell”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).