singe

/sɪnd͡ʒ/

//sɪnd͡ʒ// verb

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

"singe" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“singe” is an uncommon English word, ranked #57,713 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#57,713
frequency rank, English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To burn slightly.

Key facts for singe
PropertyValue
Headwordsinge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/sɪnd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#57,713
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “singe” 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). singe 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 singe is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɪnd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #57,713 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for singe, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English sengen, from Old English senġan, sænċġan (“to singe, burn slightly, scorch, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *sangijan (“to burn, torch”), from Proto-Indo-European *senk- (“to burn”). Cognate with West Frisian singe, sinzje (“to singe… The correct English form is singe, spelled S-I-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To burn slightly.
  2. 2
    To remove the nap of (cloth), by passing it rapidly over a red-hot bar, or over a flame, preliminary to dyeing it.
  3. 3
    To remove the hair or down from (a plucked chicken, etc.) by passing it over a flame.

Etymology

From Middle English sengen, from Old English senġan, sænċġan (“to singe, burn slightly, scorch, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *sangijan (“to burn, torch”), from Proto-Indo-European *senk- (“to burn”). Cognate with West Frisian singe, sinzje (“to singe”), Saterland Frisian soange (“to singe”), Dutch zengen (“to singe, scorch”), German Low German sengen (“to singe”), German sengen (“to singe, scorch”), Icelandic sangur (“singed, burnt, scorched”).

Synonyms

scorch

This word in other languages

chamuscar(Español)roussir(Français)versengen(Deutsch)

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 "singe"?
"singe" is spelled S-I-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /sɪnd͡ʒ/.
What does "singe" mean?
As a verb, "singe" means: To burn slightly.
How do you pronounce "singe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "singe" is /sɪnd͡ʒ/. 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 "singe"?
From Middle English sengen, from Old English senġan, sænċġan (“to singe, burn slightly, scorch, afflict”), from Proto-West Germanic *sangijan (“to burn, torch”), from Proto-Indo-European *senk- (“to burn”). Cognate with West Frisian singe, sinzje ... 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 “singe”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-I-N-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /sɪnd͡ʒ/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list