cuddle
/ˈkʌd.l̩/noun, verb
cuddle is spelled C-U-D-D-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, cuddle means “An intimate physical embrace, typically while lying (or sitting): a snuggle, an instance of lying together snugly, as one might with a partner (more…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of cuddle is cuddles.
How many letters and syllables are in cuddle?
| Letters | 6: C-U-D-D-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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 cuddle?
Cuddle appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd 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 cuddle?
- /ˈkʌd.l̩/
Cuddle 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-cuddle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of cuddle
- cuddles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- cuddling participle, present
- cuddled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does cuddle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
USAn intimate physical embrace, typically while lying (or sitting): a snuggle, an instance of lying together snugly, as one might with a partner (more intimate than a hug, and typically of longer duration).
- 2
UKAn affectionate embrace, a hug, such as is given to family members and close friends (less intimate than a snuggle, and typically of shorter duration).
Give me a cuddle, Paul; it'll cheer you up.
verb
- 1
USTo lie together snugly (with someone), in an intimate physical embrace; to snuggle.
The young lovers cuddled on the couch.
- 2
UKTo embrace (someone) affectionately; to hug (someone) closely.
- 3
To cradle (e.g. a baby) in one's arms so as to give comfort, warmth.
She cuddled the infant before bedtime.
- 4
To lie close or snug; to crouch; to nestle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Cuddle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | câlin , câliner , cajoler |
| German | Kuscheln, Umarmung , knuddeln, kuscheln |
| Portuguese | carícia , afagar, acariciar , embalar, acalentar |
| Spanish | abrazo, mimo , hacer arrumacos, acurrucarse, acorrucarse, apurruñarse |
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 cuddle come from?
Origin uncertain, but probably from a frequentative form of Middle English *cudden, cuththen, keththen (“to embrace”), a variant of cuthen, kuthen, kithen (“to be familiar with, make known”), from Middle English cuth, couth (“known, familiar”), equivalent to couth + -le. Cognate with Middle Dutch kudden (“to come together, flock together”). More at couth.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).