shilling

/ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

//ˈʃɪlɪŋ// noun

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

"shilling" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“shilling” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #23,393 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#23,393
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A coin formerly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries worth twelve old pence, or one twentieth of a pound sterling.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

shilling vs smiling
75% similar
shilling vs shining
75% similar
shilling vs sibling
75% similar

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

Key facts for shilling
PropertyValue
Headwordshilling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʃɪlɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,393
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “shilling” 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). shilling 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 shilling is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,393 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for shilling, with forms such as "hsilling", "shhilling", and "shililng". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "smiling", "shining", "sibling", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English schilling, shilling, from Old English sċilling, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz, equivalent to skill + -ing. Doublet of scalding and schilling. The correct English form is shilling, spelled S-H-I-L-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A coin formerly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries worth twelve old pence, or one twentieth of a pound sterling.
  2. 2
    The currency of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
  3. 3
    A currency in the United States, differing in value between states.
  4. 4
    The Spanish real, formerly having the value of one eighth of a dollar.
  5. 5
    Alternative form of schilling, a coin formely used in Germany and German states, worth twelve pfennig.
  6. 6
    Alternative form of skilling, a coin formely used in Denmark, Norway or Sweden, worth twelve penning.

Etymology

From Middle English schilling, shilling, from Old English sċilling, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz, equivalent to skill + -ing. Doublet of scalding and schilling.

Synonyms

bobgeneralisegenhogAbraham's willingdeener

This word in other languages

chelín(Español)shilling(Français)Schilling(Deutsch)xelim(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hsilling,shhilling,shililng,shiling,shillign,shillingg,shillinng,shillnig,shliling,sihlling,sshilling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of shilling - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hsilling2shhilling1shililng2shiling1shillign2shillingg1shillinng1shillnig2
Edit distance from "shilling"

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 "shilling"?
"shilling" is spelled S-H-I-L-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/.
What does "shilling" mean?
As a noun, "shilling" means: A coin formerly used in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and many other Commonwealth countries worth twelve old pence, or one twentieth of a pound sterling.
What words are commonly confused with "shilling"?
"shilling" is commonly confused with "smiling", "shining", "sibling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "shilling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "shilling" is /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/. 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 "shilling"?
From Middle English schilling, shilling, from Old English sċilling, from Proto-Germanic *skillingaz, equivalent to skill + -ing. Doublet of scalding and schilling. 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 “shilling”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-H-I-L-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “smiling” - see the side-by-side comparison. shilling vs smiling
  • 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