How Do You Spell STARTLE?

Pronunciation: [stˈɑːtə͡l] (IPA)

The word "startle" is spelled with two syllables: "star-tle." The first syllable is pronounced with a long "ar" sound, as in "car," and the second syllable is pronounced with a soft "t" sound followed by a short "l" sound. The IPA phonetic transcription of this word is /ˈstɑːrtl/, with stress on the first syllable. The spelling of the word "startle" accurately represents its pronunciation, making it easy to decipher and understand for native speakers and English learners alike.

STARTLE Meaning and Definition

  1. Startle is a verb that refers to the sudden shock or surprise experienced by someone due to an unexpected event or occurrence. It involves causing a person or an animal to feel startled or alarmed, often resulting in a quick, involuntary reaction. When something startles a person, it catches them off guard and triggers a response that indicates surprise, fright, or astonishment.

    The act of starting or startling usually occurs when something unexpected happens suddenly or when someone is exposed to a loud, sudden noise. Startle may cause the person to physically jump, flinch, or gasp, as their body reacts instinctively to the sudden stimulus. It can also be used to describe the effect of something surprising or alarming, causing a person to become tense or anxious.

    Startling often involves a disruption of one's mental or emotional state, momentarily diverting attention, and causing a heightened level of awareness. This response, known as the startle reflex, is a natural defense mechanism designed to alert individuals to potential threats in their environment.

    In conclusion, to startle means to surprise or alarm someone suddenly, typically by an unexpected event or loud noise, provoking an immediate and often involuntary physical or emotional reaction.

  2. To excite with sudden fear or apprehension; to excite by extreme surprise; to shock; to move suddenly in alarm.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for STARTLE *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for STARTLE

Etymology of STARTLE

The word "startle" is derived from the Middle English word "stertlen", which came from Old English "styrtlian". This Old English term has Germanic origins and is related to the Middle High German word "sturzeln" meaning "to tumble" or "to roll". The original meaning of "startle" in English referred to a sudden spasm or convulsion. Over time, it came to mean the act of being surprised or startled.

Idioms with the word STARTLE

  • startle sm out of sth To "startle someone out of something" means to surprise or shock someone so much that they immediately stop doing what they were doing or thinking about. It refers to the ability of something unexpected or alarming to snap a person's attention away from a current activity or thought.

Similar spelling words for STARTLE

Plural form of STARTLE is STARTLES

Conjugate verb Startle

CONDITIONAL

I would startle
you would startle
he/she/it would startle
we would startle
they would startle

CONDITIONAL CONTINUOUS

I would be startling
you would be startling
he/she/it would be startling
we would be startling
they would be startling

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have startle
you would have startle
he/she/it would have startle
we would have startle
they would have startle

CONDITIONAL PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I would have been startling
you would have been startling
he/she/it would have been startling
we would have been startling
they would have been startling

FUTURE

I will startle
you will startle
he/she/it will startle
we will startle
they will startle

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be startling
you will be startling
he/she/it will be startling
we will be startling
they will be startling

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have startled
you will have startled
he/she/it will have startled
we will have startled
they will have startled

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been startling
you will have been startling
he/she/it will have been startling
we will have been startling
they will have been startling

IMPERATIVE

you startle
we let´s startle

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to startle

PAST

I startled
you startled
he/she/it startled
we startled
they startled

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was startling
you were startling
he/she/it was startling
we were startling
they were startling

PAST PARTICIPLE

startled

PAST PERFECT

I had startled
you had startled
he/she/it had startled
we had startled
they had startled

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been startling
you had been startling
he/she/it had been startling
we had been startling
they had been startling

PRESENT

I startle
you startle
he/she/it startles
we startle
they startle

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am startling
you are startling
he/she/it is startling
we are startling
they are startling

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

startling

PRESENT PERFECT

I have startled
you have startled
he/she/it has startled
we have startled
they have startled

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been startling
you have been startling
he/she/it has been startling
we have been startling
they have been startling
I would have startled
we would have startled
you would have startled
he/she/it would have startled
they would have startled

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