suckle

/ˈsʌk.əl/

//ˈsʌk.əl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“suckle” is uncommon English (frequency #64,749 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,749
frequency rank, English
54,294
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A teat.

Key facts for suckle
PropertyValue
Headwordsuckle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈsʌk.əl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#64,749
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “suckle” 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). suckle 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

suckle is uncommon English at frequency #64,749 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈsʌk.əl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for suckle, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sukelen; probably a back-formation of Middle English sukeling (“a suckling; infant”), formally equivalent to suck + -le (frequentative suffix). See suckling. The correct English form is suckle, spelled S-U-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A teat.
  2. 2
    An act of suckling

Etymology

From Middle English sukelen; probably a back-formation of Middle English sukeling (“a suckling; infant”), formally equivalent to suck + -le (frequentative suffix). See suckling.

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 "suckle"?
"suckle" is spelled S-U-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsʌk.əl/.
What does "suckle" mean?
As a noun, "suckle" means: A teat.
How do you pronounce "suckle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "suckle" is /ˈsʌk.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 "suckle"?
From Middle English sukelen; probably a back-formation of Middle English sukeling (“a suckling; infant”), formally equivalent to suck + -le (frequentative suffix). See suckling. 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.

Using “suckle”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is S-U-C-K-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsʌk.əl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list