stick

/stɪk/

//stɪk// noun

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

"stick" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stick” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,802 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,802
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

stick vs suck
60% similar
stick vs stir
60% similar
stick vs stig
60% similar

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

Key facts for stick
PropertyValue
Headwordstick
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/stɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#1,802
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “stick” 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). stick 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 stick is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,802 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 51 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for stick, with forms such as "sitck", "sstick", and "stcik". 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, "suck", "stir", "stig", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- Proto-Indo-European *stignéh₂- Proto-Germanic *stikkōną Proto-Germanic *stikkô Proto-West Germanic *stikkō Old English sticca Middle English stikke English stick From Middle English stikke (“stick, rod, twig”), f… The correct English form is stick, spelled S-T-I-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  2. 2
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  3. 3
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  4. 4
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  5. 5
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  6. 6
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  7. 7
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  8. 8
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  9. 9
    An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
  10. 10
    Any roughly cylindrical (or rectangular) unit of a substance.
  11. 11
    Any roughly cylindrical (or rectangular) unit of a substance.
  12. 12
    Any roughly cylindrical (or rectangular) unit of a substance.
  13. 13
    Any roughly cylindrical (or rectangular) unit of a substance.
  14. 14
    Material or objects attached to a stick or the like.
  15. 15
    Material or objects attached to a stick or the like.
  16. 16
    Material or objects attached to a stick or the like.
  17. 17
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  18. 18
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  19. 19
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  20. 20
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  21. 21
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  22. 22
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  23. 23
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  24. 24
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  25. 25
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  26. 26
    A tool, control, or instrument shaped somewhat like a stick.
  27. 27
    A stick-like item:
  28. 28
    A stick-like item:
  29. 29
    A stick-like item:
  30. 30
    A stick-like item:
  31. 31
    A stick-like item:
  32. 32
    A stick-like item:
  33. 33
    Ability; specifically:
  34. 34
    Ability; specifically:
  35. 35
    Ability; specifically:
  36. 36
    Ability; specifically:
  37. 37
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  38. 38
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  39. 39
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  40. 40
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  41. 41
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  42. 42
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  43. 43
    A person or group of people. (Perhaps, in some senses, because people are, broadly speaking, tall and thin, like pieces of wood.)
  44. 44
    Encouragement or punishment, or (resulting) vigour or other improved behavior.
  45. 45
    Encouragement or punishment, or (resulting) vigour or other improved behavior.
  46. 46
    Encouragement or punishment, or (resulting) vigour or other improved behavior.
  47. 47
    Encouragement or punishment, or (resulting) vigour or other improved behavior.
  48. 48
    Encouragement or punishment, or (resulting) vigour or other improved behavior.
  49. 49
    A measure.
  50. 50
    A measure.
  51. 51
    Any of the eight 16-character groups making up the 128 characters of the 7-bit ASCII character set.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- Proto-Indo-European *stignéh₂- Proto-Germanic *stikkōną Proto-Germanic *stikkô Proto-West Germanic *stikkō Old English sticca Middle English stikke English stick From Middle English stikke (“stick, rod, twig”), from Old English sticca (“rod, twig”), from Proto-West Germanic *stikkō, from Proto-Germanic *stikkô (“stick, pole”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to pierce, prick, be sharp”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Stikke (“stick”), West Flemish stik (“stick”), Dutch stek (“spot, place, home”), German Low German Stick (“stick”), German Stecken (“stick”), Danish and Norwegian stikke (“stick”), Swedish sticka (“splinter, needle”). Related to stigma.

Synonyms

sticktwig

This word in other languages

astilla(Español)bâton(Français)Stock(Deutsch)galho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sitck,sstick,stcik,sticck,stickk,stikc,sttick,tsick

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sitck2sstick1stcik2sticck1stickk1stikc2sttick1tsick2
Edit distance from "stick"

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 "stick"?
"stick" is spelled S-T-I-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /stɪk/.
What does "stick" mean?
As a noun, "stick" means: An elongated piece of wood or similar material, typically put to some use, for example as a wand or baton.
What words are commonly confused with "stick"?
"stick" is commonly confused with "suck", "stir", "stig". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stick"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stick" is /stɪk/. 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 "stick"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- Proto-Indo-European *stignéh₂- Proto-Germanic *stikkōną Proto-Germanic *stikkô Proto-West Germanic *stikkō Old English sticca Middle English stikke English stick From Middle English stikke (“stick, rod,... 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 “stick”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-T-I-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /stɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “suck” - see the side-by-side comparison. stick vs suck
  • 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