startling
start·ling/ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/adjective, noun, verb
startling is spelled S-T-A-R-T-L-I-N-G: 9 letters and 2 syllables (start·ling). It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, startling means “Likely to startle; surprising; shocking” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in startling?
| Letters | 9: S-T-A-R-T-L-I-N-G |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: start·ling |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,122nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is startling?
Startling appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,122nd 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 startling?
- US /ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/
- US /ˈstɑɹt.lɪŋ/
- UK /ˈstɑː.tl̩.ɪŋ/
Startling has 2 syllables, split start·ling in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-startling.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of startling
- more startling comparative
- most startling superlative
- startlings plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does startling mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Likely to startle; surprising; shocking.
noun
- 1
A startle; a sudden motion or shock.
verb
- 1
present participle and gerund of startle
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Startling in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense likely to startle:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | überraschend, alarmierend, erschreckend, erstaunlich, schockierend, bestürzend |
| Spanish | sorprendente, alarmante |
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.