fickle
/ˈfɪk.əl/adjective, verb
fickle is spelled F-I-C-K-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, fickle means “Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fickle?
| Letters | 6: F-I-C-K-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th 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 fickle?
Fickle appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th 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 fickle?
- /ˈfɪk.əl/
Fickle 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-fickle.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fickle
- fickler comparative
- more fickle comparative
- ficklest superlative
- most fickle superlative
- fickles present, singular, he/she/it
- fickling participle, present
- fickled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fickle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
- 2
Changeable.
fickle breeze
verb
- 1
To deceive, flatter.
- 2
UKTo puzzle, perplex, nonplus.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fickle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | inconstant, volage, lunatique, indécis, capricieux , changeant |
| German | unbeständig, wankelmütig, wechselhaft, flatterhaft, launisch, unstet |
| Portuguese | volúvel, caprichoso, volátil |
| Spanish | veleidoso, voluble |
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 fickle come from?
From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike + -le. More at fike.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).