starter

/ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)/

//ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)// noun

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

"starter" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“starter” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,963 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,963
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who starts, or who starts something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

starter vs state
71% similar
starter vs states
71% similar
starter vs stated
71% similar

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

Key facts for starter
PropertyValue
Headwordstarter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#6,963
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “starter” 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). starter 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 starter is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,963 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for starter, with forms such as "satrter", "sstarter", and "staretr". 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, "state", "states", "stated", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From start + -er. The correct English form is starter, spelled S-T-A-R-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who starts, or who starts something.
  2. 2
    Someone who starts, or who starts something.
  3. 3
    Someone who starts, or who starts something.
  4. 4
    Someone who starts, or who starts something.
  5. 5
    Something that starts something.
  6. 6
    Something that starts something.
  7. 7
    Something that starts something.
  8. 8
    Something with which to begin; a first property, etc.
  9. 9
    The first course of a meal, consisting of a small, usually savoury, dish.
  10. 10
    A player in the lineup of players that a team fields at the beginning of a game.
  11. 11
    A dog that rouses game.
  12. 12
    A short length of rope formerly used for casual chastisement in the Navy.
  13. 13
    Ellipsis of starter signal.

Etymology

From start + -er.

This word in other languages

motor de arranque(Español)démarreur(Français)Anlasser(Deutsch)partida(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: satrter,sstarter,staretr,starrter,starterr,startre,startter,statrer,strater,sttarter,tsarter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

satrter2sstarter1staretr2starrter1starterr1startre2startter1statrer2
Edit distance from "starter"

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 "starter"?
"starter" is spelled S-T-A-R-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)/.
What does "starter" mean?
As a noun, "starter" means: Someone who starts, or who starts something.
What words are commonly confused with "starter"?
"starter" is commonly confused with "state", "states", "stated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "starter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "starter" is /ˈstɑː.tə(ɹ)/. 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 "starter"?
From start + -er. 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 “starter”

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

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