antler

/ˈænt.lə/

//ˈænt.lə// noun

"antler" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“antler” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,305 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#46,305
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A deciduous branching and bony structure on the head of deer, moose, and elk, normally in pairs, grown and shed each year. (Compare with horn, which is generally not shed.)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

antler vs aster
67% similar
antler vs Astley
50% similar
antler vs Antwerp
57% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for antler
PropertyValue
Headwordantler
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈænt.lə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#46,305
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “antler” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for antler is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈænt.lə/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,305 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A deciduous branching and bony structure on the head of deer, moose, and elk, normally in pairs, grown and shed each year. (Compare with horn, which is generally not shed.)".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for antler, with forms such as "anlter", "anntler", and "antelr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 16 confusable-pair relationships, "aster", "Astley", "Antwerp", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English auntelere, hauntelere, from Old French antoillier (“antler, horn”), from ante- (“in front of”) + oillier (oil (“eye”) + -ier (a suffix indicating location)), possibly from an unattested Latin *anteocularis (“before the eye”). The correct English form is antler, spelled A-N-T-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A deciduous branching and bony structure on the head of deer, moose, and elk, normally in pairs, grown and shed each year. (Compare with horn, which is generally not shed.)

Etymology

From Middle English auntelere, hauntelere, from Old French antoillier (“antler, horn”), from ante- (“in front of”) + oillier (oil (“eye”) + -ier (a suffix indicating location)), possibly from an unattested Latin *anteocularis (“before the eye”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: anlter,anntler,antelr,antlerr,antller,antlre,anttler,atnler,natler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of antler - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

anlter2anntler1antelr2antlerr1antller1antlre2anttler1atnler2
Edit distance from "antler"

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 "antler"?
"antler" is spelled A-N-T-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈænt.lə/.
What does "antler" mean?
As a noun, "antler" means: A deciduous branching and bony structure on the head of deer, moose, and elk, normally in pairs, grown and shed each year. (Compare with horn, which is generally not shed.)
What words are commonly confused with "antler"?
"antler" is commonly confused with "aster", "Astley", "Antwerp". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "antler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "antler" is /ˈænt.lə/. 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 "antler"?
From Middle English auntelere, hauntelere, from Old French antoillier (“antler, horn”), from ante- (“in front of”) + oillier (oil (“eye”) + -ier (a suffix indicating location)), possibly from an unattested Latin *anteocularis (“before the eye”). 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.

Using “antler”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-T-L-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈænt.lə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “aster” - see the side-by-side comparison. antler vs aster
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list