turncoat
/ˈtɝn.koʊt/noun, verb
turncoat is spelled T-U-R-N-C-O-A-T: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 70,702nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, turncoat means “A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of turncoat is turncoats.
How many letters and syllables are in turncoat?
| Letters | 8: T-U-R-N-C-O-A-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 70,702nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is turncoat?
Turncoat appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 70,702nd 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 turncoat?
- UK /ˈtəːn.kəʊt/
- US /ˈtɝn.koʊt/
Turncoat has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-turncoat.ogg, En-au-turncoat.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with turncoat
Also written: turn-coat (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of turncoat
- turncoats plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- turn-coat
- turn coat
- turncoating participle, present
- turncoated participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does turncoat mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A traitor; one who turns against a previous affiliation or allegiance.
verb
- 1
To act as a turncoat; to betray
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Turncoat in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | renégat, apostat, traître |
| German | Überläufer, Überläuferin, Renegat, Verräter , Wendehals |
| Portuguese | vira-casaca |
| Spanish | tránsfuga, veleta, renegado, chaquetero, cambiacasaca , chaquetear |
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 turncoat come from?
A compound of turn + coat, reportedly derived from the sometime military practice of wearing uniform coats that were lined in material of a contrasting color, and which could be worn inside out to present a different appearance.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).