strange

/stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/

//stɹeɪnd͡ʒ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“strange” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,317 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#2,317
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

strange vs strong
71% similar
strange vs string
71% similar
strange vs strung
71% similar

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

Key facts for strange
PropertyValue
Headwordstrange
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#2,317
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “strange” 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). strange 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 strange is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,317 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for strange, with forms such as "srtange", "sstrange", and "starnge". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "strong", "string", "strung", 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 straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, foreign”). L… The correct English form is strange, spelled S-T-R-A-N-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation.
  2. 2
    Unfamiliar, not yet part of one's experience.
  3. 3
    Outside of one's current relationship; unfamiliar.
  4. 4
    Having the quantum mechanical property of strangeness.
  5. 5
    Of an attractor: having a fractal structure.
  6. 6
    Belonging to another country; foreign.
  7. 7
    Reserved; distant in deportment.
  8. 8
    Backward; slow.
  9. 9
    Not familiar; unaccustomed; inexperienced.
  10. 10
    Not belonging to one.

Etymology

From Middle English straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, foreign”). Largely displaced native fremd, selcouth, and uncouth, from Old English fremede, seldcūþ, and uncūþ.

Synonyms

aberrantabnormalalienanomalousas queer as Dick's hatbandbizarrebookycuriousdeviantdiscrepanteerieeldritcherrantexceptionalextraordinaryfeyforbyfreakfreakishfreakyfremdfunnyheteroclitehinkyincongruousincongruitousirregularkookymonstrousnonstandardoddoutlandishout of the ordinaryoutrépeculiarquaintqueerqueer as a clockwork orangequeer as a nine bob notequeer as a three dollar billqueer as a cootqueer as Dick's hatbandrarerumrummyselcouthseldsingularstrangetrippyuncannyuncommonuncouthunconventionalunearthlyunexpectedunreasonableunusualunwontedweirdweirdsomeyampy

Antonyms

commonfamiliarinevitableintermediatemoderatenormal

This word in other languages

extraño(Español)étrange(Français)seltsam(Deutsch)esquisito(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srtange,sstrange,starnge,stragne,straneg,strangge,strannge,strnage,strrange,sttrange,tsrange

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

srtange2sstrange1starnge2stragne2straneg2strangge1strannge1strnage2
Edit distance from "strange"

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 "strange"?
"strange" is spelled S-T-R-A-N-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/.
What does "strange" mean?
As an adjective, "strange" means: Not normal; odd, unusual, surprising, out of the ordinary, often with a negative connotation.
What words are commonly confused with "strange"?
"strange" is commonly confused with "strong", "string", "strung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "strange"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "strange" is /stɹeɪnd͡ʒ/. 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 "strange"?
From Middle English straunge, strange, stronge, from Old French estrange, from Latin extrāneus (“that which is on the outside”). Doublet of extraneous and estrange. Cognate with French étrange (“strange, foreign”) and Spanish extraño (“strange, fo... 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 “strange”

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

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