succour
suc·cour/ˈsʌkɚ/noun, verb
succour is spelled S-U-C-C-O-U-R: 7 letters and 2 syllables (suc·cour). It appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, succour means “Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of succour is succours.
How many letters and syllables are in succour?
| Letters | 7: S-U-C-C-O-U-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: suc·cour |
| In writing | about once in every 5 million words; the 66,686th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Sounds like | |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is succour?
Succour appears about once in every 5 million words in written English, the 66,686th 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 succour?
- UK /ˈsʌkə/
- US /ˈsʌkɚ/
Succour has 2 syllables, split suc·cour in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-succour.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with succour
Sounds like: sucker (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with succour?
6 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as succour from its last stressed vowel (/ʌkəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of succour
- succours plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- succor US
- succouring participle, present
- succoured participle, past, singular, he/she/it, plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does succour mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Aid, assistance, or relief given to one in distress; ministration.
- 2
Aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers, especially reinforcements sent to support military action.
- 3
Protection, refuge, shelter; (countable) a place providing such protection, refuge or shelter.
verb
- 1
To give aid, assistance, or help.
- 2
To provide aid or assistance in the form of military equipment and soldiers; in particular, for helping a place under siege.
- 3
To protect, to shelter; to provide a refuge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Succour in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | secours , secourir |
| German | Beistand, Hilfe, Unterstützung , beistehen, unterstützen, zu Hilfe kommen |
| Portuguese | socorro, ajuda, assistência , socorrer |
| Spanish | socorro , socorrer |
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 succour come from?
The noun is derived from Middle English socour, interpreted as the singular form of socours (“help; encouragement; remedy; protection; helper, protector”), which is from Anglo-Norman socurs, sucurs and Old French secors, secours (modern French secours), from Medieval Latin succursus (participle), from Latin succurrēre (“to run to the help of”), from Latin sub- (“from below”) + Latin currere (“run”). The verb is derived from Middle English socouren (“to help”), from Anglo-Norman socure (compare modern French secourir), also from Latin succurrēre.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).