stickler
/ˈstɪk.lə/
"stickler" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“stickler” is uncommon English (frequency #50,248 among 54,294 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #50,248
- frequency rank, English
- 54,294
- “S” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A referee or adjudicator at a fight, wrestling match, duel, etc. who ensures fair play.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | stickler |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈstɪk.lə/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #50,248 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “stickler” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
stickler is uncommon English at frequency #50,248 among 54,294 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈstɪk.lə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for stickler in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English stighteler, stytelere, equivalent to stickle + -er. The judges at Cornish wrestling matches do indeed carry sticks which serve for signalling and as a badge of their office. This practice has evolved from holding swords and then swordsti… The correct English form is stickler, spelled S-T-I-C-K-L-E-R.
Definition
- 1A referee or adjudicator at a fight, wrestling match, duel, etc. who ensures fair play.
- 2Someone who insistently advocates for something, especially for strict observance of a formal rule.
Etymology
From Middle English stighteler, stytelere, equivalent to stickle + -er. The judges at Cornish wrestling matches do indeed carry sticks which serve for signalling and as a badge of their office. This practice has evolved from holding swords and then swordsticks.
This word in other languages
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 "stickler"?
What does "stickler" mean?
How do you pronounce "stickler"?
What is the origin of the word "stickler"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “stickler”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is S-T-I-C-K-L-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈstɪk.lə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.