stark
/stɑɹk/adjective, adverb
stark is spelled S-T-A-R-K: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,009th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, stark means “Severe; violent; fierce (now usually in describing the weather)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in stark?
| Letters | 5: S-T-A-R-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 10 times per million words; the 7,009th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is stark?
Stark appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 7,009th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce stark?
- US /stɑɹk/
- UK /stɑːk/
Stark has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-stark.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with stark?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as stark from its last stressed vowel (/ɑɹk/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: karst.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of stark
- starker comparative
- starkest superlative
- starks present, singular, he/she/it
- starking participle, present
- starked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does stark mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
obsoleteHard, firm; obdurate.
- 2
Severe; violent; fierce (now usually in describing the weather).
- 3
archaicStrong; vigorous; powerful.
- 4
Stiff, rigid.
- 5
Plain in appearance; barren, desolate.
I picked my way forlornly through the stark, sharp rocks.
- 6
Naked.
- 7
Complete, absolute, full.
I screamed in stark terror.
adverb
- 1
Starkly; entirely, absolutely.
He's gone stark, staring mad.
noun
- 1
The language spoken in the Ender's Game series, which is nearly identical to American English.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo stiffen.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Stark in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | streng, gewaltig , steif, fest, hart , völlig |
| Spanish | severo, duro, crudo, grave, fuerte , descarnado |
| Portuguese | duradouro, vigoroso |
| French | tout |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does stark come from?
From Middle English stark, starc, from Old English stearc, starc (“stiff, rigid, unyielding, obstinate, hard, strong, severe, violent”), from Proto-West Germanic *stark, from Proto-Germanic *starkuz (“stiff, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)terg- (“rigid, stiff”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).