starling

/ˈstɑːlɪŋ/

//ˈstɑːlɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“starling” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,031. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,031
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-starling · starling · English

starling · rank #28,031 · 13 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,031
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH steamboat

Nearest frequency peer: steamboat (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “starling”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “starling” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

starling vs string
75% similar
starling vs staying
75% similar
starling vs stating
75% similar

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

Key facts for starling
PropertyValue
Headwordstarling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɑːlɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#28,031
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “starling”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).starlinglands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “steamboat” (#28,032), “Steinberg” (#28,033), “stingy” (#28,034). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “starling” is #28,031. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around starling (IPA /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,031 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for starling, with forms such as "satrling", "sstarling", and "stalring". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "string", "staying", "stating", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English starling, sterling, sterlinge, from Old English stærling, from stær (“starling”) + -ling (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch sterlinck (“starling”). The correct English form is starling, spelled S-T-A-R-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
  2. 2
    A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
  3. 3
    A fish, rock trout (Hexagrammos spp.), of the North Pacific, especially, Hexagrammos decagrammus, found in US waters.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Vast flights of starlings, fleeing the racket, beat across the sky at high speed, like Squall-clouds,— Evening at Noon-tide.

Etymology

From Middle English starling, sterling, sterlinge, from Old English stærling, from stær (“starling”) + -ling (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch sterlinck (“starling”).

This word in other languages

estornino(Español)étourneau(Français)Star(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • satrling
  • sstarling
  • stalring
  • starilng
  • starlign
  • starlingg
  • starlinng
  • starlling
  • starlnig
  • starrling
  • straling
  • sttarling
  • tsarling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

satrling2sstarling1stalring2starilng2starlign2starlingg1starlinng1starlling1
Edit distance from "starling"

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 "starling"?
"starling" is spelled S-T-A-R-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/.
What does "starling" mean?
As a noun, "starling" means: A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
What words are commonly confused with "starling"?
"starling" is commonly confused with "string", "staying", "stating". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "starling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "starling" is /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/. 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 "starling"?
From Middle English starling, sterling, sterlinge, from Old English stærling, from stær (“starling”) + -ling (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch sterlinck (“starling”). 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 "starling", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

solemnly#28,026takedown#28,045schooner#28,009scaffold#28,007

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

steamboat13 variantsservitude13 variantsuntrained13 variantspinching13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list