stinker

/ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)/

//ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)// noun

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

"stinker" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stinker” is uncommon English (frequency #57,099 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#57,099
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who stinks.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stinker · stinker · English

stinker · rank #57,099 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #57,099
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Stiglitz

Nearest frequency peer: Stiglitz (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “stinker”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “stinker” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stinker
PropertyValue
Headwordstinker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#57,099
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stinker” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).stinkerfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Stiglitz” (#57,098), “stirrup” (#57,101), “Stalinism” (#57,096). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stinker” is #57,099. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stinker is uncommon English at frequency #57,099 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 10 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for stinker, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From stink + -er. The correct English form is stinker, spelled S-T-I-N-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who stinks.
  2. 2
    A contemptible person or thing.
  3. 3
    Something difficult (e.g. a given puzzle) or unpleasant (e.g. negative review, nasty letter).
  4. 4
    Something of poor quality.
  5. 5
    Any of several species of large Antarctic petrels which feed on blubber and carrion and have an offensive odour, such as the giant fulmar.
  6. 6
    A chemist.
  7. 7
    A hot day.
  8. 8
    A black eye.
  9. 9
    A western grey kangaroo.
  10. 10
    A giant petrel.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how stinker appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Skunks are the worst stinkers in the animal kingdom.
  2. "Stop squallin', you little stinker!" She struck the child with her open hand across the face.

Etymology

From stink + -er.

Synonyms

stinkardcreeprotterscoundrelstinkardhatchet jobnastygramclunker

This word in other languages

pueur(Français)Stinker(Deutsch)

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 "stinker"?
"stinker" is spelled S-T-I-N-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)/.
What does "stinker" mean?
As a noun, "stinker" means: One who stinks.
How do you pronounce "stinker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stinker" is /ˈstɪŋ.kə(ɹ)/. 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 "stinker"?
From stink + -er. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "stinker", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stirrup#57,101tabular#57,118skimmer#57,076shylock#57,070

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list