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 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,749
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A teat.

Corpus desk

Index EN-suckle · suckle · English

suckle · rank #64,749 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,749
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH substantively

Nearest frequency peer: substantively (-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 “suckle”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
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)

Long-tail rank of “suckle” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “substantively” (#64,748), “sulky” (#64,750), “suman” (#64,751). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “suckle” is #64,749. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

suckle is uncommon English at frequency #64,749 among 6,566 “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

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. […] the body of this fish [the Mannatee] is commonly 3 yards long and one broad, slow in swimming, wanting fins, in their place ayded with 2 paps which are not only suckles but stilts to creep a shoare upon such time she grazes […]
  2. The baby was having a suckle at its mother's breast.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "suckle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Tamayo#64,756Tamsin#64,757Starke#64,735toeing#64,775

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list