shape-shifter

/ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə/

//ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə// noun

"shape-shifter" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shape-shifter” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
13
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Alternative form of shapeshifter.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shape-shifter · shape-shifter · English

shape-shifter · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "S" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for shape-shifter
PropertyValue
Headwordshape-shifter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə/
Letters13
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “shape-shifter” in English

shape-shifterfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

shape-shifter is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Alternative form of shapeshifter.".

shape-shifter doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is shape-shifter, spelled S-H-A-P-E---S-H-I-F-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative form of shapeshifter.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "shape-shifter"?
"shape-shifter" is spelled S-H-A-P-E---S-H-I-F-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə/.
What does "shape-shifter" mean?
As a noun, "shape-shifter" means: Alternative form of shapeshifter.
How do you pronounce "shape-shifter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shape-shifter" is /ˈʃeɪp.ʃɪf.tə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "shape-shifter" come from?
"shape-shifter" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list