strength

Name: strength, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/stɹɛŋ(k)θ/

//stɹɛŋ(k)θ// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“strength” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,677 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,677
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 14
tracked misspellings: 2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The quality or degree of being strong.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

strength vs strengths

89% similar

strength vs strengthen

80% similar

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

Key facts for strength
Property	Value
Headword	strength
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/stɹɛŋ(k)θ/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#1,677
Misspellings tracked	14
Confusable pairs	2
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “strength” 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). strength lands here:

#1,677

#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 strength is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɹɛŋ(k)θ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,677 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for strength, with forms such as "srtength", "sstrength", and "sterngth". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "strengths", "strengthen", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English strengthe, from Old English strengþu (“strength”), from Proto-West Germanic *strangiþu (“strongness; strength”), equivalent to strong + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Dutch strengte (“strength”), German Low German Strengde, … The correct English form is strength, spelled S-T-R-E-N-G-T-H.

Definition

1
The quality or degree of being strong.
2
The intensity of a force or power; potency.
3
The strongest part of something; that on which confidence or reliance is based.
4
A positive attribute.
5
An armed force, a body of troops.
6
A strong place; a stronghold.
7
The minimum ratio of the number of edges removed from a given graph to components created, over all possible removals.

Etymology

From Middle English strengthe, from Old English strengþu (“strength”), from Proto-West Germanic *strangiþu (“strongness; strength”), equivalent to strong + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Dutch strengte (“strength”), German Low German Strengde, Strengte (“harshness; rigidity; strictness; severity”).

Synonyms

ability asset capability expertise forte fortitude main potency power

This word in other languages

fuerza(Español)force(Français)Stärke(Deutsch)força(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srtength,sstrength,sterngth,stregnth,strenggth,strenght,strengthh,strengtth,strenngth,strentgh,strnegth,strrength,sttrength,tsrength

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "strength"

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 "strength"?

"strength" is spelled S-T-R-E-N-G-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /stɹɛŋ(k)θ/.

What does "strength" mean?

As a noun, "strength" means: The quality or degree of being strong.

What words are commonly confused with "strength"?

"strength" is commonly confused with "strengths", "strengthen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "strength"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "strength" is /stɹɛŋ(k)θ/. 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 "strength"?

From Middle English strengthe, from Old English strengþu (“strength”), from Proto-West Germanic *strangiþu (“strongness; strength”), equivalent to strong + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Cognate with Dutch strengte (“strength”), German Low German ... 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 “strength”

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

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