# sterling

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ · frequency rank #5,842

## Definitions
1. An English silver penny first introduced by the Normans.
2. A penny issued in other countries, such as Scotland.
3. The currency of the United Kingdom, based on the pound sterling; hence, genuine English or British currency, as contrasted with foreign currency.
4. Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less than 92.5 percent silver, the remainder usually being copper; articles made from this alloy collectively”).
5. Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness (0.91666 for gold and 0.925 for silver).
6. Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce”)
7. Money generally.
8. The standard degree of fineness.

## Etymology
Possibly from Old English *steorling, from steorra (“star”) and -ling, in reference to the stars that appeared on certain English pennies. Alternatively, the first element may be *stēre, meaning “strong” or “stout” (compare the etymology of solidus).

## Easily confused with
- **string** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-string)
- **storing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-storing)
- **styling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-styling)
- **stirring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-stirring)
- **swelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-swelling)
- **Stirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-stirling)
- **swirling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-swirling)
- **storming** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-storming)
- **stifling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-stifling)
- **swerving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sterling-vs-swerving)
- **selling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/selling-vs-sterling)
- **serving** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/serving-vs-sterling)
- **staring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/staring-vs-sterling)
- **sealing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sealing-vs-sterling)
- **starting** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starting-vs-sterling)
- **stealing** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stealing-vs-sterling)
- **starring** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/starring-vs-sterling)
- **spelling** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/spelling-vs-sterling)
- **stepping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/stepping-vs-sterling)
- **steering** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/steering-vs-sterling)

## Common misspellings (13)
`setrling`, `ssterling`, `stelring`, `sterilng`, `sterlign`, `sterlingg`, `sterlinng`, `sterlling`, `sterlnig`, `sterrling`, `streling`, `stterling`, `tserling`

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