Spelling.School · How to spell

How to spell bristle

Bristle is spelled B-R-I-S-T-L-E.

hear itbris·tle/'brɪsəl/verbSilent and tricky

What it means: To stand up in response to fear.

In a sentence: The little hedgehog began to bristle when it felt scared.

The part people get wrong

Watch for an unstressed vowel that is hard to hear.

Same family: bristled, bristling, bristly, bristles, bristle with. If you can spell one, the shared part carries to the others.

Where it comes from: “Bristle” comes from Old English *byrst* meaning a short stiff hair, and originally referred to the stiff hairs on an animal’s back. Over time, English speakers started using it metaphorically for people who ‘stand on end’ with anger or fear, so now we can say someone ‘bristles’ at an insult.

Try spelling it

You will hear the word and a sentence. Type it and press Enter. Then four more words from the same level, so you know where you stand.

Words like this

Everyone has words they always get wrong. Spelling.School finds yours, shows you exactly why you miss them, and uses spaced repetition until you spell them right every time. Five minutes a day. Try five words without signing up.