starfish

/ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/

//ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“starfish” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,103 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,103
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of various echinoderms (not in fact fish) with usually five arms, many of which eat bivalves or corals by everting their stomach.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

starfish vs standish
75% similar

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

Key facts for starfish
PropertyValue
Headwordstarfish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,103
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “starfish” 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). starfish 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 starfish is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,103 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for starfish, with forms such as "satrfish", "sstarfish", and "stafrish". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "standish", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From star + fish. The correct English form is starfish, spelled S-T-A-R-F-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various echinoderms (not in fact fish) with usually five arms, many of which eat bivalves or corals by everting their stomach.
  2. 2
    Any many-armed or tentacled sea invertebrate, whether cnidarian, echinoderm, or cephalopod.
  3. 3
    A woman (or, less commonly, a gay man) who reluctantly takes part in sexual intercourse, and lies on the back while spreading the limbs.
  4. 4
    The anus.

Etymology

From star + fish.

This word in other languages

estrella de mar(Español)étoile de mer(Français)Seestern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: satrfish,sstarfish,stafrish,starffish,starfihs,starfishh,starfissh,starfsih,starifsh,starrfish,strafish,sttarfish,tsarfish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of starfish - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

satrfish2sstarfish1stafrish2starffish1starfihs2starfishh1starfissh1starfsih2
Edit distance from "starfish"

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 "starfish"?
"starfish" is spelled S-T-A-R-F-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/.
What does "starfish" mean?
As a noun, "starfish" means: Any of various echinoderms (not in fact fish) with usually five arms, many of which eat bivalves or corals by everting their stomach.
What words are commonly confused with "starfish"?
"starfish" is commonly confused with "standish". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "starfish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "starfish" is /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/. 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 "starfish"?
From star + fish. 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 “starfish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-A-R-F-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈstɑː(ɹ)fɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “standish” - see the side-by-side comparison. starfish vs standish
  • 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