streaky

/ˈstɹiːki/

//ˈstɹiːki// adj

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

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

The verdict

“streaky” is uncommon English (frequency #55,778 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,778
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having streaks.

Corpus desk

Index EN-streaky · streaky · English

streaky · rank #55,778 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,778
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stocker

Nearest frequency peer: stocker (-2 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 “streaky”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for streaky
PropertyValue
Headwordstreaky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈstɹiːki/
Letters7
Frequency rank#55,778
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “streaky” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).streakyfalls 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: “stocker” (#55,776), “Sulaiman” (#55,780), “sundial” (#55,781). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “streaky” is #55,778. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

streaky is uncommon English at frequency #55,778 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈstɹiːki/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for streaky, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From streak + -y. The correct English form is streaky, spelled S-T-R-E-A-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having streaks.
  2. 2
    Used to describe a shot where the ball deflects off the edge of the bat, but is not caught by the slips or wicket-keeper and instead results in runs for the batsman.
  3. 3
    Unpredictable, variable; having periods of good and bad (e.g. weather).
  4. 4
    Having alternating periods of good and bad performances; inconsistent.
  5. 5
    Having periods of irritation or bad temper.
  6. 6
    Not well-executed, due to luck more than skill.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Although the two added thirteen important runs, including four byes let through by Mongia and a streaky outside edge cum late-cut by Pollock for four, one didn't need to be blessed with gifts of insight to realise that Pollock's days at the crease were numbered.
  2. ...rather than hitting it with the middle of the bat, I jagged it off the inside edge and French-cut it over the top of the stumps for another four. That was the only streaky shot I can remember.

Etymology

From streak + -y.

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 "streaky"?
"streaky" is spelled S-T-R-E-A-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɹiːki/.
What does "streaky" mean?
As an adjective, "streaky" means: Having streaks.
How do you pronounce "streaky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "streaky" is /ˈstɹiːki/. 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 "streaky"?
From streak + -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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

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

stocker#55,776sundial#55,781springy#55,764splayed#55,760

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list