stricture

/ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə/

//ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə// noun

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

"stricture" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stricture” is uncommon English (frequency #93,196 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#93,196
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rule restricting behaviour or action.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stricture · stricture · English

stricture · rank #93,196 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #93,196
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH streaker

Nearest frequency peer: streaker (-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 “stricture”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stricture
PropertyValue
Headwordstricture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə/
Letters9
Frequency rank#93,196
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stricture” 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).stricturefalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “streaker” (#93,195), “studentship” (#93,199), “Sunningdale” (#93,202). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stricture” is #93,196. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stricture is uncommon English at frequency #93,196 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for stricture in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus. The correct English form is stricture, spelled S-T-R-I-C-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rule restricting behaviour or action.
  2. 2
    A general state of restrictiveness on behavior, action, or ideology.
  3. 3
    A sternly critical remark or review.
  4. 4
    Abnormal narrowing of a canal or duct in the body.
  5. 5
    Strictness.
  6. 6
    A stroke; a glance; a touch.
  7. 7
    The degree of contact, in consonants.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To his eyes it had no attraction; it savoured of simony, and was likely to bring down upon him harder and more deserved strictures than any he had yet received: he positively declined to become vicar of Puddingdale under any circumstances.
  2. 1931 Edgar Wallace: Again Sanders "That is a matter for you to discuss with the Government," said Sanders, in his iciest tone. "I am only authorized to collect twenty-eight thousand. I will note your strictures and report them to Whitehall." "I'm passing no strictures said the Major, hastily. He had been warned against Sanders...

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus.

This word in other languages

estrechura(Español)étranglement(Français)

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 "stricture"?
"stricture" is spelled S-T-R-I-C-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə/.
What does "stricture" mean?
As a noun, "stricture" means: A rule restricting behaviour or action.
How do you pronounce "stricture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stricture" is /ˈstɹɪkt͡ʃə/. 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 "stricture"?
Borrowed from Late Latin strictūra, from Latin strictus. 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 "stricture", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Steinbach#93,188steerable#93,187syncretic#93,212Taniguchi#93,216

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list