Suffix · forms nouns
From Old English "-ling": forms diminutives of young creatures, small beings or subordinate persons. Duckling, fledgling, sibling, underling, changeling.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
The suffix -ling comes from Old English and forms nouns with two main meanings: 1. Young creature or small being: duckling, gosling, sapling, nestling, yearling, fledgling. 2. Person in a secondary, subordinate or diminished position: underling, sibling, foundling, changeling. Spanish equivalents vary: -illo/-ita (patito), specific words (exposito), or young + noun.
"fledgling" = 1. a young bird learning to fly; 2. (metaphor) a new, inexperienced enterprise or person: "a fledgling democracy." "a fledgling business." Very common in journalism and essays. "sapling" = a young tree: "plant a sapling." Metaphorically: a young flexible person. Both appear frequently in literary and journalistic English.
"sibling" = brother or sister (gender-neutral): one of the most-used -ling words in modern everyday English. "underling" = a person of lower rank; a subordinate or lackey: "He was merely an underling." Slightly disparaging. "changeling" = in European folklore: a child substituted by fairies. Appears in Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream) and fantasy literature. "foundling" = an abandoned child who has been found: appears in Dickens and 18th-19th century literature.
Noun (animal, person, situation) + ling. Always produces a noun.
Not all young animal names use -ling: kitten, puppy, cub, foal, lamb, calf have their own forms. -ling is more productive in Old English and literary contexts.
-ling/lɪŋ/ · rhymes with sing
Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.
"sibling" is the gender-neutral term. siblings = brothers and sisters collectively. Very common in medical, psychological and formal contexts.
"a fledgling democracy" = a young, inexperienced democracy. "a fledgling startup" = a company just starting out. Very common in journalism and political essays.
duckling is the general term for a young duck. The Ugly Duckling popularised the word but it is a standard zoological and everyday term.
A trick to remember it
-ling = young creature, small being or subordinate. Most used: duckling, fledgling (nascent enterprise), sapling, sibling (gender-neutral brother or sister), underling. Literary/folkloric: changeling, foundling. Key journalistic use: a fledgling democracy/startup.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
"A fledgling democracy" means...
Exercise 3 · Pick the right one
What is a changeling in the literary tradition?
The suffix -ling from Old English "-ling": forms diminutives of young creatures, small beings or subordinate persons. Duckling, fledgling, sibling, underling, changeling. In Spanish it usually maps to -illo / -ito / young one.
The ending -ling is pronounced /lɪŋ/ · rhymes with sing. For example, "duckling".
"duck" becomes "duckling". It is a typical example of the -ling suffix.
-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.