sting

/ˈstɪŋ/

//ˈstɪŋ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“sting” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,674 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,674
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bump left on the skin after having been stung.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

sting vs stir
60% similar
sting vs sung
60% similar
sting vs stun
60% similar

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

Key facts for sting
PropertyValue
Headwordsting
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɪŋ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,674
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sting” 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). sting 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 sting is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈstɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,674 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 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 sting, with forms such as "sitng", "ssting", and "stign". 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, "stir", "sung", "stun", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English styng, sting, stynge, stenge, from Old English sting, stincg (“a sting, stab, thrust made with a pointed instrument; the wound made by a stab or sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stingaz; possibly also from Old English stynġ, from Proto-Germ… The correct English form is sting, spelled S-T-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
  2. 2
    A puncture made by an insect or arachnid in an attack, usually including the injection of venom.
  3. 3
    A pointed portion of an insect or arachnid used for attack.
  4. 4
    A sharp, localized pain primarily on the epidermis.
  5. 5
    A sharp-pointed hollow hair seated on a gland which secretes an acrid fluid, as in nettles.
  6. 6
    The thrust of a sting into the flesh; the act of stinging; a wound inflicted by stinging.
  7. 7
    A police operation in which the police pretend to engage in criminal activity in order to catch a criminal.
  8. 8
    A short percussive phrase played by a drummer to accent the punchline in a comedy show.
  9. 9
    A brief sequence of music used in films, TV, and video games as a form of scenic punctuation or to identify the broadcasting station.
  10. 10
    A support for a wind tunnel model which extends parallel to the air flow.
  11. 11
    The harmful or painful part of something.
  12. 12
    A goad; incitement.
  13. 13
    The concluding point of an epigram or other sarcastic saying.

Etymology

From Middle English styng, sting, stynge, stenge, from Old English sting, stincg (“a sting, stab, thrust made with a pointed instrument; the wound made by a stab or sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stingaz; possibly also from Old English stynġ, from Proto-Germanic *stungiz.

Synonyms

stinger

This word in other languages

picadura(Español)piqûre(Français)Stich(Deutsch)ferroada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sitng,ssting,stign,stingg,stinng,stnig,stting,tsing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sting - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

sitng2ssting1stign2stingg1stinng1stnig2stting1tsing2
Edit distance from "sting"

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 "sting"?
"sting" is spelled S-T-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɪŋ/.
What does "sting" mean?
As a noun, "sting" means: A bump left on the skin after having been stung.
What words are commonly confused with "sting"?
"sting" is commonly confused with "stir", "sung", "stun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "sting"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sting" is /ˈstɪŋ/. 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 "sting"?
From Middle English styng, sting, stynge, stenge, from Old English sting, stincg (“a sting, stab, thrust made with a pointed instrument; the wound made by a stab or sting”), from Proto-Germanic *stingaz; possibly also from Old English stynġ, from ... 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 “sting”

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

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