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string

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

6 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "string", 6-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "string" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "string" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

string is aEnglishnoun. It means: A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together. Pronounced /stɹɪŋ/. It ranks #3,658 in English word frequency. Often confused with strip and swing.

Key facts for string
PropertyValue
Headwordstring
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/stɹɪŋ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,658
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of string in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for string is 6 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɹɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,658 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text.Wiktionary records 31 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 10 documented wrong-spelling variants for string, with forms such as "srting", "sstring", and "stirng". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "strip", "swing", "suing", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English string, streng, strynge, from Old English strenġ, from Proto-West Germanic *strangi, from Proto-Germanic *strangiz (“string”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“rope, cord, strand; to tighten”). Cognate with Scots string (“string”), D… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is string, spelled S-T-R-I-N-G, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together.
  2. 2
    Any similar long, thin and flexible object.
  3. 3
    Any similar long, thin and flexible object.
  4. 4
    A thread or cord on which a number of objects or parts are strung or arranged in close and orderly succession; hence, a line or series of things arranged on a thread, or as if so arranged.
  5. 5
    A cohesive substance taking the form of a string.
  6. 6
    A series of items or events.
  7. 7
    A slightly elevated (long, thin) peat ridge in a bog.
  8. 8
    The members of a sports team or squad regarded as most likely to achieve success. (Perhaps metaphorical as the "strings" that hold the squad together.) Often first string, second string etc.
  9. 9
    In various games and competitions, a certain number of turns at play, of rounds, etc.
  10. 10
    A drove of horses, or a group of racehorses kept by one owner or at one stable.
  11. 11
    An ordered sequence of text characters stored consecutively in memory and capable of being processed as a single entity.
  12. 12
    A stringed instrument.
  13. 13
    The stringed instruments as a section of an orchestra, especially those played by a bow, or the persons playing those instruments.
  14. 14
    The conditions and limitations in a contract collectively.
  15. 15
    A tiny one-dimensional string-like entity, the main object of study in string theory, a branch of theoretical physics.
  16. 16
    Cannabis or marijuana.
  17. 17
    Part of the game of billiards, where the order of the play is determined by testing who can get a ball closest to the bottom rail by shooting it onto the end rail.
  18. 18
    The buttons strung on a wire by which the score is kept.
  19. 19
    The points made in a game of billiards.
  20. 20
    The line from behind and over which the cue ball must be played after being out of play, as by being pocketed or knocked off the table; also called the string line.
  21. 21
    A strip, as of leather, by which the covers of a book are held together.
  22. 22
    A fibre, as of a plant; a little fibrous root.
  23. 23
    A nerve or tendon of an animal body.
  24. 24
    A board supporting steps
  25. 25
    An inside range of ceiling planks, corresponding to the sheer strake on the outside and bolted to it.
  26. 26
    The tough fibrous substance that unites the valves of the pericarp of leguminous plants.
  27. 27
    A small, filamentous ramification of a metallic vein.
  28. 28
    A stringcourse.
  29. 29
    A hoax; a fake story.
  30. 30
    Synonym of stable (“group of prostitutes managed by one pimp”).
  31. 31
    A column of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (using the mud pumps) and torque (using the kelly drive or top drive) to the drill bit.

Etymology

From Middle English string, streng, strynge, from Old English strenġ, from Proto-West Germanic *strangi, from Proto-Germanic *strangiz (“string”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“rope, cord, strand; to tighten”). Cognate with Scots string (“string”), Dutch streng (“cord, strand”), Low German strenge (“strand, cord, rope”), German Strang (“strand, cord, rope”), Danish streng (“string”), Swedish sträng (“string, cord, wire”), Icelandic strengur (“string”), Latvian stringt (“to be tight, wither”), Latin stringō (“I tighten”), Ancient Greek στραγγαλόομαι (strangalóomai, “to strangle”), from στραγγάλη (strangálē, “halter”), Ancient Greek στραγγός (strangós, “tied together, entangled, twisted”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srting,sstring,stirng,strign,stringg,strinng,strnig,strring,sttring,tsring

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for string

Misspelling Variants of "string"

srting6sstring7stirng6strign6stringg7strinng7strnig6strring7
Misspelling Variants of "string"

Frequency rank: #3,658 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "string"?
"string" is spelled S-T-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /stɹɪŋ/.
What does "string" mean?
As a noun, "string" means: A long, thin and flexible structure made from threads twisted together.
What words are commonly confused with "string"?
"string" is commonly confused with "strip", "swing", "suing". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "string"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "string" is /stɹɪŋ/. 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 "string"?
From Middle English string, streng, strynge, from Old English strenġ, from Proto-West Germanic *strangi, from Proto-Germanic *strangiz (“string”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“rope, cord, strand; to tighten”). Cognate with Scots string (“s... 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter S in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.