shapeshifter

/ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/

//ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“shapeshifter” is uncommon English (frequency #59,699 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,699
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person or creature capable of changing their appearance or form at will.

Corpus desk

Index EN-shapeshifter · shapeshifter · English

shapeshifter · rank #59,699 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,699
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Shani

Nearest frequency peer: Shani (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “shapeshifter”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “shapeshifter” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for shapeshifter
PropertyValue
Headwordshapeshifter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/
Letters12
Frequency rank#59,699
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “shapeshifter” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).shapeshifterfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Shani” (#59,698), “secondarily” (#59,697), “shivered” (#59,701). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “shapeshifter” is #59,699. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

shapeshifter is uncommon English at frequency #59,699 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for shapeshifter in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From shape + shifter. The correct English form is shapeshifter, spelled S-H-A-P-E-S-H-I-F-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person or creature capable of changing their appearance or form at will.
  2. 2
    A person who is inconsistent and elusive.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The shapeshifter Lisa Bowalk, unable to shed the guise of a black panther, had gone onto the plain as a prisoner but was not now to be found among the dead above or the Captured down below.
  2. Like the teller of shapeshifter stories—who conjures a shifting world of perceptions and expectations for his or her audience that is strikingly similar to the worlds created by the shapeshifter for its victims—the cultural practice of imagination...is an inherently shifty enterprise....

Etymology

From shape + shifter.

Synonyms

shape-shifter

This word in other languages

cambiante(Español)métamorphe(Français)Gestaltwandler(Deutsch)

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 "shapeshifter"?
"shapeshifter" is spelled S-H-A-P-E-S-H-I-F-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/.
What does "shapeshifter" mean?
As a noun, "shapeshifter" means: A person or creature capable of changing their appearance or form at will.
How do you pronounce "shapeshifter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shapeshifter" is /ˈʃeɪpʃɪftə/. 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 "shapeshifter"?
From shape + shifter. 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 "shapeshifter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

triglyceride#59,773overspending#59,599overreaching#59,598oscilloscope#59,592

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list