yearling

/ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/

//ˈjɜː.lɪŋ// noun

"yearling" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“yearling” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,002. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,002
frequency rank, English
2,763
“Y” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An animal that is between one and two years old; one that is in its second year (but not yet two full years old).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

yearling vs yelling
75% similar
yearling vs yearning
88% similar

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

Key facts for yearling
PropertyValue
Headwordyearling
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,002
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “yearling” 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). yearling lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around yearling (IPA /ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,002 among 2,763 “Y” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for yearling, with forms such as "eyarling", "yaerling", and "yealring". 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, "yelling", "yearning", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English yerling, yerlyng, equivalent to year + -ling. Cognate with Dutch jaarling (“yearling”), German Jährling (“yearling”). The correct English form is yearling, spelled Y-E-A-R-L-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    An animal that is between one and two years old; one that is in its second year (but not yet two full years old).
  2. 2
    A racehorse that is considered to be one year old until a subsequent January 1st.
  3. 3
    A sophomore at West Point military academy.

Etymology

From Middle English yerling, yerlyng, equivalent to year + -ling. Cognate with Dutch jaarling (“yearling”), German Jährling (“yearling”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: eyarling,yaerling,yealring,yearilng,yearlign,yearlingg,yearlinng,yearlling,yearlnig,yearrling,yeraling,yyearling

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of yearling - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

eyarling2yaerling2yealring2yearilng2yearlign2yearlingg1yearlinng1yearlling1
Edit distance from "yearling"

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 "yearling"?
"yearling" is spelled Y-E-A-R-L-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/.
What does "yearling" mean?
As a noun, "yearling" means: An animal that is between one and two years old; one that is in its second year (but not yet two full years old).
What words are commonly confused with "yearling"?
"yearling" is commonly confused with "yelling", "yearning". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "yearling"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "yearling" is /ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/. 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 "yearling"?
From Middle English yerling, yerlyng, equivalent to year + -ling. Cognate with Dutch jaarling (“yearling”), German Jährling (“yearling”). 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 “yearling”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is Y-E-A-R-L-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈjɜː.lɪŋ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “yelling” - see the side-by-side comparison. yearling vs yelling
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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