# starling

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/ · frequency rank #28,031

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

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

## Easily confused with
- **string** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-string)
- **staying** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-staying)
- **stating** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-stating)
- **storing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-storing)
- **styling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-styling)
- **starting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-starting)
- **stealing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-stealing)
- **sterling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-sterling)
- **starring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-starring)
- **starving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-starving)
- **stirring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-stirring)
- **Stirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-stirling)
- **swirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-swirling)
- **storming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-storming)
- **stifling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-stifling)
- **startling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starling-vs-startling)
- **Stalin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stalin-vs-starling)
- **sharing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sharing-vs-starling)
- **staring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/staring-vs-starling)
- **sailing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sailing-vs-starling)

## Common misspellings (13)
`satrling`, `sstarling`, `stalring`, `starilng`, `starlign`, `starlingg`, `starlinng`, `starlling`, `starlnig`, `starrling`, `straling`, `sttarling`, `tsarling`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/starling