fickle

/ˈfɪk.əl/

//ˈfɪk.əl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“fickle” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,752. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,752
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fickle · fickle · English

fickle · rank #24,752 · 9 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,752
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH figurative

Nearest frequency peer: figurative (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fickle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fickle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

fickle vs file
67% similar
fickle vs finale
67% similar
fickle vs fiddle
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for fickle
PropertyValue
Headwordfickle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɪk.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#24,752
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fickle”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “figurative” (#24,753), “femininity” (#24,750), “flared” (#24,754). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fickle” is #24,752. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around fickle (IPA /ˈfɪk.əl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #24,752 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fickle, with forms such as "fcikle", "ffickle", and "ficckle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "file", "finale", "fiddle", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike + -le. More at fike. The correct English form is fickle, spelled F-I-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
  2. 2
    Changeable.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how fickle appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. O Fortune, Fortune, all men call thee fickle, / If thou art fickle, what doſt thou with him / That is renown'd for faith? be fickle Fortune: / For then I hope thou wilt not keepe him long, / But ſend him backe.
  2. Still onward winds the dreary way; ⁠I with it; for I long to prove ⁠No lapse of moons can canker Love, Whatever fickle tongues may say.

Etymology

From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike + -le. More at fike.

This word in other languages

inconstante(Español)inconstant(Français)unbeständig(Deutsch)volúvel(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fcikle
  • ffickle
  • ficckle
  • fickel
  • fickkle
  • ficklle
  • ficlke
  • fikcle
  • ifckle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fickle - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

fcikle2ffickle1ficckle1fickel2fickkle1ficklle1ficlke2fikcle2
Edit distance from "fickle"

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 "fickle"?
"fickle" is spelled F-I-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪk.əl/.
What does "fickle" mean?
As an adjective, "fickle" means: Quick to change one’s opinion or allegiance; insincere; not loyal or reliable.
What words are commonly confused with "fickle"?
"fickle" is commonly confused with "file", "finale", "fiddle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fickle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fickle" is /ˈfɪk.əl/. 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 "fickle"?
From Middle English fikil, fikel, from Old English ficol (“fickle, cunning, tricky, deceitful”), equivalent to fike + -le. More at fike. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "fickle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

flared#24,754feline#24,749forage#24,757Gallup#24,763

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

galilee9 variantsgrapple9 variantsgrated9 variantsgreets9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list