coddle
/ˈkɑ.dəl/verb, noun
coddle is spelled C-O-D-D-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, coddle means “To treat gently or with great care” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in coddle?
| Letters | 6: C-O-D-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 65,114th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is coddle?
Coddle appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 65,114th 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 coddle?
- UK /ˈkɒd.əl/
- US /ˈkɑ.dəl/
- Australia /ˈkɔd.əl/
Coddle 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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-coddle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with coddle?
3 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as coddle from its last stressed vowel (/ɑdəl/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of coddle
- coddles present, singular, he/she/it, plural
- coddling participle, present
- coddled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does coddle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To treat gently or with great care.
- 2
To cook slowly in hot water that is below the boiling point.
a coddled egg
- 3
To exercise excessive or damaging authority in an attempt to protect. To overprotect.
noun
- 1
An Irish dish comprising layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and bacon rashers with sliced potatoes and onions.
- 2
archaicAn effeminate person.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Coddle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | choyer, dorloter , mijoter , couver |
| German | verhätscheln, verwöhnen , köcheln , überbehüten |
| Portuguese | amimar |
| Spanish | malcriar, mimar, consentir, popar , cocinar a fuego lento, escalfar |
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 coddle come from?
Probably from caudle. Compare British dialect caddle (“to coax, spoil, fondle”) and cade.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).