# shilling

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/ · frequency rank #23,393

## Definitions
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. The currency of Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda.
3. A currency in the United States, differing in value between states.
4. The Spanish real, formerly having the value of one eighth of a dollar.
5. Alternative form of schilling, a coin formely used in Germany and German states, worth twelve pfennig.
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.

## Easily confused with
- **smiling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-smiling)
- **shining** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-shining)
- **sibling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-sibling)
- **shipping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-shipping)
- **spelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-spelling)
- **swelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-swelling)
- **smelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-smelling)
- **Stirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-stirling)
- **shitting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-shitting)
- **spilling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-spilling)
- **stalling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-stalling)
- **swirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-swirling)
- **stifling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-stifling)
- **shillings** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shilling-vs-shillings)
- **selling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selling-vs-shilling)
- **sailing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sailing-vs-shilling)
- **shifting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shifting-vs-shilling)
- **shelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shelling-vs-shilling)
- **shelving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shelving-vs-shilling)
- **schilling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/schilling-vs-shilling)

## Common misspellings (11)
`hsilling`, `shhilling`, `shililng`, `shiling`, `shillign`, `shillingg`, `shillinng`, `shillnig`, `shliling`, `sihlling`, `sshilling`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shilling