fondle

/ˈfɒndəl/

//ˈfɒndəl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“fondle” is uncommon English (frequency #51,707 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,707
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To touch or stroke lovingly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fondle · fondle · English

fondle · rank #51,707 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,707
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foothill

Nearest frequency peer: foothill (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “fondle”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “fondle” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for fondle
PropertyValue
Headwordfondle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɒndəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#51,707
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fondle” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

fondle is uncommon English at frequency #51,707 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈfɒndəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

fondle doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From fond (“love, admire”) + -le (frequentative suffix). The correct English form is fondle, spelled F-O-N-D-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To touch or stroke lovingly.
  2. 2
    To grasp.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mothers fondle their babies.
  2. idly fondling the cat's ears

Etymology

From fond (“love, admire”) + -le (frequentative suffix).

Synonyms

canoodlecaresschucklecoaxcossetdallydandledawtfaddlefeel upfondfondlegrabblegropenantlepetpettleshiftsmuggletiddletouch upworship

This word in other languages

acariciar(Español)caresser(Français)liebkosen(Deutsch)acariciar(Português)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fondle"?
"fondle" is spelled F-O-N-D-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒndəl/.
What does "fondle" mean?
As a verb, "fondle" means: To touch or stroke lovingly.
How do you pronounce "fondle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fondle" is /ˈfɒndəl/. 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 "fondle"?
From fond (“love, admire”) + -le (frequentative suffix). 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 "fondle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

dulled#51,673Hannan#51,743doting#51,666Hebert#51,749

What to do next

You've looked up "fondle". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #51,707 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "F" letter cohort. F–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list