# whistle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈwɪs(ə)l/ · frequency rank #8,626

## Definitions
1. A device designed to be placed in the mouth and blown, or driven by steam or some other mechanism, to make a whistling sound.
2. An act of whistling.
3. A shrill, high-pitched sound made by whistling.
4. Any high-pitched sound similar to the sound made by whistling.
5. A suit (from whistle and flute).
6. The mouth and throat; so called as being the organs of whistling.

## Etymology
From Middle English whistel, whistil, whistle, from Old English hwistle, from the verb (see below).

## Easily confused with
- **white** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whistle-vs-white)
- **wrestle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whistle-vs-wrestle)
- **Whitley** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whistle-vs-whitley)
- **whittle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whistle-vs-whittle)
- **whistler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whistle-vs-whistler)
- **while** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/while-vs-whistle)
- **Whipple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/whipple-vs-whistle)

## Common misspellings (11)
`hwistle`, `whhistle`, `whislte`, `whisstle`, `whistel`, `whistlle`, `whisttle`, `whitsle`, `whsitle`, `wihstle`, `wwhistle`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/whistle