Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

startling

/ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.40 in modern English

Syllables: start-ling
IPA: /ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/

10

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

present participle and gerund of startle

adj

Likely to startle; surprising; shocking.

noun

A startle; a sudden motion or shock.

Example Sentences

"That startling admission capped a miserable night for City as they arrived in Germany following an unbeaten start to the season."
"Soon the formications and muscular debility returned, not alone, but accompanied with painful cramps and startlings in the feet and calves of the legs."

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/
British English: /ˈstɑː.tl̩.ɪŋ/

Inflected Forms

more startling (comparative) most startling (superlative) startlings (plural)

Derived Forms

startlingly startlingness unstartling

Synonyms

alarming

Rhymes With

bartling

Questions

How do you pronounce startling?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/.
What does startling mean?: present participle and gerund of startle

How to pronounce startling

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “startling”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈstɑɹ.tl̩.ɪŋ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “startling”.
Repeat and practice — Say “startling” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.