curler

/ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)/

//ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)// noun

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

The verdict

“curler” is uncommon English (frequency #52,252 among 5,599 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,252
frequency rank, English
5,599
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One of a set of small cylindrical tubes used to curl hair.

Corpus desk

Index EN-curler · curler · English

curler · rank #52,252 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,252
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 5,599
  • PHOTO-FINISH Curitiba

Nearest frequency peer: Curitiba (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “curler”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “curler” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for curler
PropertyValue
Headwordcurler
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#52,252
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “curler” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).curlerfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “Curitiba” (#52,251), “currant” (#52,253), “cutaway” (#52,254). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “curler” is #52,252. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

curler is uncommon English at frequency #52,252 among 5,599 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for curler, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From curl + -er. The correct English form is curler, spelled C-U-R-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of a set of small cylindrical tubes used to curl hair.
  2. 2
    A sportsman who plays curling.
  3. 3
    A pass or a shot of the ball which swerves.
  4. 4
    A wave which breaks with a barrel

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how curler appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Waiting for a girl who's got curlers in her hair / Waiting for a girl, she has no money anywhere
  2. There was also hairdressing: hairdressing, too, really was hairdressing in those times — no running a comb through it and that was that. It was curled, frizzed, waved, put in curlers overnight, waved with hot tongs;[…].

Etymology

From curl + -er.

This word in other languages

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 "curler"?
"curler" is spelled C-U-R-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)/.
What does "curler" mean?
As a noun, "curler" means: One of a set of small cylindrical tubes used to curl hair.
How do you pronounce "curler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curler" is /ˈkɜː(ɹ)lə(ɹ)/. 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 "curler"?
From curl + -er. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "curler", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list