protostar
/ˈpɹəʊtə(ʊ)stɑː/
"protostar" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“protostar” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A collection of gas and dust in space with high temperature that usually grows to the point of beginning nuclear fusion and becoming a star.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | protostar |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈpɹəʊtə(ʊ)stɑː/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “protostar” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
protostar is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈpɹəʊtə(ʊ)stɑː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A collection of gas and dust in space with high temperature that usually grows to the point of beginning nuclear fusion and becoming a star.".
No generated misspelling entries exist for protostar in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From proto- + star. Compare later protostellar. The correct English form is protostar, spelled P-R-O-T-O-S-T-A-R.
Definition
- 1A collection of gas and dust in space with high temperature that usually grows to the point of beginning nuclear fusion and becoming a star.
Etymology
From proto- + star. Compare later protostellar.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “protostar”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is P-R-O-T-O-S-T-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈpɹəʊtə(ʊ)stɑː/ (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
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.