strait

/stɹeɪt/

//stɹeɪt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“strait” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,066 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#13,066
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

strait vs strip
67% similar
strait vs straw
67% similar
strait vs strap
67% similar

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

Key facts for strait
PropertyValue
Headwordstrait
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/stɹeɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,066
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “strait” 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). strait 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 strait is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɹeɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,066 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for strait, with forms such as "srtait", "sstrait", and "starit". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "strip", "straw", "strap", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict. The correct English form is strait, spelled S-T-R-A-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
  2. 2
    Righteous, strict.
  3. 3
    Tight; close; tight-fitting.
  4. 4
    Close; intimate; near; familiar.
  5. 5
    Difficult; distressful.
  6. 6
    Parsimonious; stingy; mean.
  7. 7
    Obsolete spelling of straight, now a misspelling of straight.

Etymology

From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srtait,sstrait,starit,straitt,strati,striat,strrait,sttrait,tsrait

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of strait - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

srtait2sstrait1starit2straitt1strati2striat2strrait1sttrait1
Edit distance from "strait"

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 "strait"?
"strait" is spelled S-T-R-A-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /stɹeɪt/.
What does "strait" mean?
As an adjective, "strait" means: Narrow; restricted as to space or room; close.
What words are commonly confused with "strait"?
"strait" is commonly confused with "strip", "straw", "strap". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "strait"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "strait" is /stɹeɪt/. 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 "strait"?
From Middle English streit, from Old French estreit (modern form étroit), from Latin strictus, perfect passive participle of stringō (“compress, tighten”). Doublet of stretto and strict. 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 “strait”

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

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