feeler

/ˈfiːlə/

//ˈfiːlə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“feeler” is uncommon English (frequency #83,242 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#83,242
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone or something that feels.

Corpus desk

Index EN-feeler · feeler · English

feeler · rank #83,242 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #83,242
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ferriss

Nearest frequency peer: Ferriss (+3 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 “feeler”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for feeler
PropertyValue
Headwordfeeler
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfiːlə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#83,242
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “feeler” in English

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Ferriss” (#83,245), “Fairclough” (#83,238), “expiation” (#83,234). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “feeler” is #83,242. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

feeler is uncommon English at frequency #83,242 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfiːlə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for feeler in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English feler, feeler, felar, equivalent to feel + -er. Animal organ definition from 1660s. Transferred sense of "proposal put forth to observe the reaction it gets" is from 1830. The correct English form is feeler, spelled F-E-E-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone or something that feels.
  2. 2
    An antenna or appendage used for feeling, especially on an insect.
  3. 3
    Something ventured to test another's feelings, opinion, or position.
  4. 4
    a presumptive person; someone who bases on gut feeling, such as assuming or imagining that something said or done, whether positive or negative, was for a person despite having no concrete confirmation but gut feeling, or someone who assumes one's affection is reciprocated, or indulges in one's own wishful thinking or flatters oneself

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Are you more of a feeler or more of a thinker?
  2. I sent out some feelers but they didn't seem interested.

Etymology

From Middle English feler, feeler, felar, equivalent to feel + -er. Animal organ definition from 1660s. Transferred sense of "proposal put forth to observe the reaction it gets" is from 1830.

This word in other languages

antena(Español)Fühler(Deutsch)palpo(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 "feeler"?
"feeler" is spelled F-E-E-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfiːlə/.
What does "feeler" mean?
As a noun, "feeler" means: Someone or something that feels.
How do you pronounce "feeler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "feeler" is /ˈfiːlə/. 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 "feeler"?
From Middle English feler, feeler, felar, equivalent to feel + -er. Animal organ definition from 1660s. Transferred sense of "proposal put forth to observe the reaction it gets" is from 1830. 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 "feeler", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Franko#83,258ejecta#83,213Edberg#83,210Gatton#83,275

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list