# startle vs sterile

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### startle
*verb · IPA /ˈstɑːt(ə)l/ · frequency rank #42,422*
To move suddenly, or be excited, on feeling alarm; to start.

### sterile
*adjective · IPA /ˈstɛɹaɪl/ · frequency rank #16,591*
Unable to reproduce (or procreate).

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