curlew

/ˈkɜːlju/

//ˈkɜːlju// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“curlew” is uncommon English (frequency #68,137 among 43,570 “C” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,137
frequency rank, English
43,570
“C” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills.

Key facts for curlew
PropertyValue
Headwordcurlew
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈkɜːlju/
Letters6
Frequency rank#68,137
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “curlew” 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). curlew lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

curlew is uncommon English at frequency #68,137 among 43,570 “C” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈkɜːlju/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for curlew, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running). The correct English form is curlew, spelled C-U-R-L-E-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills.
  2. 2
    A stone curlew (Burhinidae spp.).

Etymology

From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running).

This word in other languages

zarapito(Español)courlis(Français)maçarico(Português)

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 "curlew"?
"curlew" is spelled C-U-R-L-E-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈkɜːlju/.
What does "curlew" mean?
As a noun, "curlew" means: Any of several migratory wading birds in the genus Numenius, remarkable for their long, slender, downcurved bills.
How do you pronounce "curlew"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "curlew" is /ˈkɜːlju/. 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 "curlew"?
From Middle English curlew, from Old French courlieu (see French courlis), claimed to be imitative of the bird's cry but apparently assimilated with dialectal *corliu (“runner, messenger”), a variant of coureur (the bird is adept at running). 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 “curlew”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is C-U-R-L-E-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈkɜːlju/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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