# started vs startled

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### started
*verb · IPA [ˈstɑɹɾɪd] · frequency rank #405*
simple past and past participle of start

### startled
*adjective · IPA /ˈstɑɹt.l̩d/ · frequency rank #19,473*
Surprised and slightly frightened.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/started-vs-startled