sticky

/ˈstɪki/

//ˈstɪki// adj

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

"sticky" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“sticky” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,673 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#9,673
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tending to stick; able to adhere via the drying of a viscous substance.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sticky vs stock
67% similar
sticky vs stuck
67% similar
sticky vs stink
67% similar

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

Key facts for sticky
PropertyValue
Headwordsticky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstɪki/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,673
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sticky” 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). sticky 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 sticky is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɪki/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,673 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for sticky, with forms such as "sitcky", "ssticky", and "stciky". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "stock", "stuck", "stink", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stick + -y. The correct English form is sticky, spelled S-T-I-C-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tending to stick; able to adhere via the drying of a viscous substance.
  2. 2
    Difficult, awkward.
  3. 3
    Of a death: unpleasant, grisly.
  4. 4
    Of weather: hot and windless and with high humidity, so that people feel sticky from sweating.
  5. 5
    Mawkish, sentimental.
  6. 6
    Tending to stay the same; resistant to change.
  7. 7
    Persistent.
  8. 8
    Appearing on all virtual desktops.
  9. 9
    Fixed at the top of the list of topics or threads so as to keep it in view.
  10. 10
    Compelling enough to keep visitors from leaving.
  11. 11
    Resembling or characteristic of a stick.

Etymology

From stick + -y.

Synonyms

claggytenaciousglutinousadhesiveclosemuggysultry

This word in other languages

pegajoso(Español)collant(Français)stickig(Deutsch)pegajoso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sitcky,ssticky,stciky,sticcky,stickky,stickyy,sticyk,stikcy,stticky,tsicky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

sitcky2ssticky1stciky2sticcky1stickky1stickyy1sticyk2stikcy2
Edit distance from "sticky"

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 "sticky"?
"sticky" is spelled S-T-I-C-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɪki/.
What does "sticky" mean?
As an adjective, "sticky" means: Tending to stick; able to adhere via the drying of a viscous substance.
What words are commonly confused with "sticky"?
"sticky" is commonly confused with "stock", "stuck", "stink". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sticky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sticky" is /ˈstɪki/. 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 "sticky"?
From stick + -y. 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 “sticky”

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

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