single

/ˈsɪŋɡl̩/

//ˈsɪŋɡl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“single” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #380. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#380
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.

Corpus desk

Index EN-single · single · English

single · rank #380 · 9 variants · 18 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #380
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 18 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH often

Nearest frequency peer: often (-1 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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “single”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “single” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

single vs sings
67% similar
single vs sizzle
67% similar
single vs singly
83% similar

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

Key facts for single
PropertyValue
Headwordsingle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈsɪŋɡl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#380
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “single” sits in English frequency

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).singlelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “often” (#379), “become” (#381), “mind” (#378). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around single (IPA /ˈsɪŋɡl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #380 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for single, with forms such as "isngle", "signle", and "singel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "sings", "sizzle", "singly", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English single, sengle, from Old French sengle, saingle, sangle, from Latin singulus, a diminutive derived from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”). Akin to Latin simplex (“simple”). See simple, and compare singular. The correct English form is single, spelled S-I-N-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.
  2. 2
    Not divided in parts.
  3. 3
    Designed for the use of only one.
  4. 4
    Performed by one person, or one on each side.
  5. 5
    Not married, and (in modern times) not dating or without a significant other.
  6. 6
    Having only one rank or row of petals.
  7. 7
    Simple and honest; sincere, without deceit.
  8. 8
    Uncompounded; pure; unmixed.
  9. 9
    Simple; foolish; weak; silly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Can you give me a single reason not to leave right now?
  2. The vase contained a single long-stemmed rose.

Etymology

From Middle English single, sengle, from Old French sengle, saingle, sangle, from Latin singulus, a diminutive derived from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”). Akin to Latin simplex (“simple”). See simple, and compare singular.

This word in other languages

solo(Español)seul(Français)einzeln(Deutsch)único(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • isngle
  • signle
  • singel
  • singgle
  • singlle
  • sinlge
  • sinngle
  • snigle
  • ssingle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of single - 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.

isngle2signle2singel2singgle1singlle1sinlge2sinngle1snigle2
Edit distance from "single"

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 "single"?
"single" is spelled S-I-N-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɪŋɡl̩/.
What does "single" mean?
As an adjective, "single" means: Not accompanied by anything else; one in number.
What words are commonly confused with "single"?
"single" is commonly confused with "sings", "sizzle", "singly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "single"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "single" is /ˈsɪŋɡl̩/. 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 "single"?
From Middle English single, sengle, from Old French sengle, saingle, sangle, from Latin singulus, a diminutive derived from Proto-Indo-European *sem- (“one”). Akin to Latin simplex (“simple”). See simple, and compare singular. 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 "single", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

become#381coming#383office#389social#367

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

others9 variantsalmost9 variantstaking9 variantswithin9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "single". Here's where to go from here.

  • "single" maps to 18 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "sings". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #380 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "S" letter cohort. S–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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