strong

/stɹɒŋ/

//stɹɒŋ// adj

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

"strong" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“strong” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #614 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#614
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Capable of producing great physical force.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

strong vs stung
67% similar
strong vs strung
83% similar
strong vs Stroud
50% similar

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

Key facts for strong
PropertyValue
Headwordstrong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/stɹɒŋ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#614
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “strong” 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). strong 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 strong is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /stɹɒŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #614 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for strong, with forms such as "srtong", "sstrong", and "storng". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "stung", "strung", "Stroud", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English strong, strang, from Old English strang (“strong”), from Proto-West Germanic *strang (“severe, strict, rigorous, strong”), from Proto-Germanic *strangaz (“tight, strict, straight, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“taut, stif… The correct English form is strong, spelled S-T-R-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Capable of producing great physical force.
  2. 2
    Capable of withstanding great physical force.
  3. 3
    Possessing power, might, or strength.
  4. 4
    Determined; unyielding.
  5. 5
    Highly stimulating to the senses.
  6. 6
    Having an offensive or intense odor or flavor.
  7. 7
    Having a high concentration of an essential or active ingredient.
  8. 8
    Having a high alcoholic content.
  9. 9
    Inflecting in a different manner than the one called weak, such as Germanic verbs which change vowels.
  10. 10
    That completely ionizes into anions and cations in a solution.
  11. 11
    Not easily subdued or taken.
  12. 12
    Having wealth or resources.
  13. 13
    Impressive, good.
  14. 14
    Having a specified number of people or units.
  15. 15
    Severe; very bad or intense.
  16. 16
    Having a wide range of logical consequences; widely applicable. (Often contrasted with a weak statement which it implies.)
  17. 17
    Convincing.

Etymology

From Middle English strong, strang, from Old English strang (“strong”), from Proto-West Germanic *strang (“severe, strict, rigorous, strong”), from Proto-Germanic *strangaz (“tight, strict, straight, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“taut, stiff, tight”). Cognate with Scots strang (“strong”), Saterland Frisian strang, West Frisian string (“austere, strict, harsh, severe, stern, stark, tough”), Dutch streng (“strict, severe, tight”), German streng (“strict, severe, austere”), Danish and Norwegian streng (“strong, hard”), Faroese and Icelandic strangur (“strict”), Norwegian strang (“strong, harsh, bitter”), Swedish sträng, strang (“severe, strict, harsh”), Latin stringō (“tighten”). Doublet of strict and string.

This word in other languages

fuerte(Español)fort(Français)stark(Deutsch)forte(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: srtong,sstrong,storng,strnog,strogn,strongg,stronng,strrong,sttrong,tsrong

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

srtong2sstrong1storng2strnog2strogn2strongg1stronng1strrong1
Edit distance from "strong"

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 "strong"?
"strong" is spelled S-T-R-O-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /stɹɒŋ/.
What does "strong" mean?
As an adjective, "strong" means: Capable of producing great physical force.
What words are commonly confused with "strong"?
"strong" is commonly confused with "stung", "strung", "Stroud". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "strong"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "strong" is /stɹɒŋ/. 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 "strong"?
From Middle English strong, strang, from Old English strang (“strong”), from Proto-West Germanic *strang (“severe, strict, rigorous, strong”), from Proto-Germanic *strangaz (“tight, strict, straight, strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *strengʰ- (“... 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 “strong”

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

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