Asterisk and asteriks look almost identical at first glance. The difference comes down to one letter, but only one spelling is standard in English.
The correct spelling is asterisk. Asteriks is a misspelling.
The confusion usually comes from pronunciation. The ending of asterisk can sound close to “-riks,” which may tempt you to write asteriks. However, standard dictionaries use asterisk for the word and asterisks for its plural. Oxford gives the US pronunciation as /ˈæstərɪsk/, while Cambridge lists /ˈæs.tɚ.ɪsk/ for American English.
The word refers to the star-shaped symbol (*), which you see in footnotes, disclaimers, censored words, forms, academic writing, and many digital interfaces. It can also work as a verb meaning to mark something with an asterisk.
Here’s the simple answer:
| Spelling | Correct? | Meaning or use |
| asterisk | ✅ Yes | Singular form of the word |
| asterisks | ✅ Yes | Plural form |
| asteriks | ❌ No | Common misspelling |
| asterix | ❌ Usually no | Common spelling mistake, although Asterix is also the name of a fictional comic character |
So, if you’re writing about the symbol *, use asterisk.
Asterisk vs Asteriks: Which One Is Correct?
Asterisk is the correct spelling. Asteriks is not the standard spelling in English.
Major English dictionaries identify asterisk as the word for the symbol *. Cambridge defines it as a symbol used to refer readers to a note or indicate that a letter is missing. Oxford similarly defines it as the symbol placed next to a word or phrase to draw attention to additional information elsewhere.
The difference is easy to see:
Correct: asterisk
Incorrect: asteriks
Notice where the s and k appear.
Asterisk ends in -isk, not -iks.
That small distinction matters because English spelling doesn’t always follow pronunciation letter for letter. A word can sound one way while its established spelling follows a different pattern.
Asterisk vs Asteriks at a Glance
| Feature | Asterisk | Asteriks |
| Standard English spelling | ✅ | ❌ |
| Refers to * | ✅ | ❌ |
| Singular noun | ✅ | ❌ |
| Dictionary headword | ✅ | ❌ |
| Standard plural | Asterisks | ❌ |
| Common cause of confusion | Pronunciation | Phonetic spelling |
If you’re proofreading an article, essay, email, report, or website, replace asteriks with asterisk when you mean the symbol.
What Does Asterisk Mean?
An asterisk is the star-shaped symbol (*).
It has several uses, although its most familiar job is to point readers toward additional information. For example, you might see a price followed by an asterisk:
$49.99*
The asterisk tells you to look elsewhere for an important qualification, condition, or explanation.
Cambridge describes the symbol as a way to refer readers to a note at the bottom of a page or to indicate that a letter is missing from a word. It also notes uses involving taboo words and other contexts.
Oxford gives a similar definition, describing the asterisk as a symbol placed beside a word or phrase to attract attention or show that more information appears elsewhere.
Asterisk as a Noun
As a noun, asterisk names the symbol itself.
Examples:
- An asterisk appears beside the discounted price.
- The asterisk refers to a note at the bottom of the page.
- Put an asterisk next to the items that need further review.
- The form uses an asterisk to identify required fields.
In each sentence, asterisk refers to the symbol rather than the information associated with it.
Asterisk as a Verb
Asterisk can also function as a verb.
To asterisk something means to mark it with an asterisk.
Oxford lists the verb and gives forms such as asterisks, asterisked, and asterisking.
For example:
- The editor asterisked several entries.
- Please asterisk the questions that require additional documentation.
- The researcher asterisked the results that met the required condition.
This creates an interesting grammatical point: asterisks can be either the plural noun or the third-person singular form of the verb.
Context tells you which one it is.
Why Do People Spell Asterisk as Asteriks?
The main reason for the asterisk vs asteriks confusion is pronunciation.
English speakers don’t always pronounce every word exactly as its spelling might suggest. In this case, the final sounds can encourage people to reverse the order of the s and k in writing.
The standard US pronunciation is approximately /ˈæs.tɚ.ɪsk/ according to Cambridge. Oxford gives /ˈæstərɪsk/. Both pronunciations preserve the -isk ending.
Yet when people hear the word quickly, they may perceive the final sounds differently. That can produce spellings such as:
- asteriks
- asterix
- asterick
These forms reflect the way some people hear or pronounce the word rather than the standard spelling.
Is Asteriks a Pronunciation or a Spelling?
This distinction is important.
Asteriks may represent the way someone thinks the word sounds, but it isn’t the standard written form of the noun.
Think of it like hearing a familiar song lyric incorrectly. Your ears may supply one sequence of sounds, while the official lyrics use another. Pronunciation and spelling overlap, but they don’t always match perfectly.
The same principle applies here:
Sound: can lead to confusion
Standard spelling: asterisk
So even if you hear something that sounds like “asteriks,” write asterisk when you’re referring to the symbol.
Asterisk vs Asterisks: Singular and Plural Forms
Another common source of confusion involves the plural.
The singular form is:
asterisk
The plural form is:
asterisks
You don’t change the ending from -isk to -iks.
Instead, you simply add -s:
asterisk → asterisks
Oxford’s dictionary entry confirms the standard word and its grammatical forms.
Examples of the Singular Form
Use asterisk when you’re talking about one symbol.
- There is an asterisk beside the question.
- The asterisk refers to an important note.
- I added an asterisk to the price.
- An asterisk marks the required field.
Examples of the Plural Form
Use asterisks when you’re talking about two or more symbols.
- The document contains three asterisks.
- The asterisks point to additional information.
- Several asterisks appear beside the results.
- The editor used asterisks to mark omitted text.
Is Asteriks the Plural of Asterisk?
No.
The correct plural is asterisks.
| Number | Correct form | Example |
| One | asterisk | One asterisk appears here. |
| Two or more | asterisks | Two asterisks appear here. |
| Incorrect | asteriks | Two asteriks appear here. ❌ |
The spelling doesn’t switch from sk to ks when you make the noun plural.
How to Use Asterisk in a Sentence
The symbol * has a surprisingly wide range of uses. Its exact meaning depends on the context.
Asterisk for a Footnote
One of the oldest and most recognizable uses involves footnotes.
For example:
The study included 250 participants.*
A note at the bottom of the page might explain what the asterisk means:
*Participants were recruited between January and March.
Here, the asterisk acts like a small signpost. It connects the statement in the main text to information somewhere else.
Cambridge specifically identifies referring readers to notes as a core use of the symbol.
Asterisk for Additional Information
Businesses frequently use asterisks in advertisements, pricing pages, contracts, and promotional material.
For example:
Free shipping*
The asterisk signals that the claim has additional conditions.
A note might say:
*Available on qualifying orders only.
This is why you’ll often see asterisks next to words such as:
- Free
- Guaranteed
- Unlimited
- No fee
- Discount
- Available
- Included
The symbol itself doesn’t explain the condition. It tells you to look for the explanation.
Asterisk for Required Fields
Online forms often use an asterisk to identify required information.
For example:
- Name *
- Email address *
- Password *
In this context, the symbol tells you that you can’t leave the field blank.
The convention has become so common that many users recognize an asterisk beside a form label immediately.
Asterisk for Missing Letters
An asterisk can also represent an unknown or missing letter.
For example:
The person’s surname was listed as Sm*th.
The symbol indicates that one letter has been omitted or isn’t known.
Cambridge includes this function in its definition of asterisk.
Asterisks for Censored Words
You may also see asterisks replacing letters in words that a writer doesn’t want to display in full.
For example:
The message contained several c****d words.
The exact number of asterisks varies by publication, platform, and writing style. Some systems replace only part of a word while others obscure the entire word.
Cambridge specifically notes the use of asterisks with taboo words to avoid displaying them in full.
Asterisk in Linguistics
Linguists use an asterisk in a specialized way.
An asterisk placed before a linguistic form can indicate that the form is considered ungrammatical or unacceptable within a particular analysis.
For example:
*He go to school every day.
In a linguistic discussion, the preceding asterisk can signal that the sentence isn’t considered grammatical in the relevant variety of English.
This is very different from the footnote use. The same symbol carries a different convention because the field gives it a specialized meaning.
Asterisk vs Asteriks Examples
The easiest way to remember the correct spelling is to see the mistake beside the correction.
| Incorrect | Correct |
| Use an asteriks here. | Use an asterisk here. |
| The asteriks marks a footnote. | The asterisk marks a footnote. |
| I added an asteriks to the sentence. | I added an asterisk to the sentence. |
| There are three asteriks on the page. | There are three asterisks on the page. |
| The asteriks indicates a required field. | The asterisk indicates a required field. |
| Several asteriks appear in the document. | Several asterisks appear in the document. |
Notice the pattern.
One: asterisk
More than one: asterisks
The spelling asteriks doesn’t become correct simply because you’re talking about multiple symbols.
Asterisk Pronunciation
Pronunciation plays a major role in the asterisk vs asteriks confusion.
Cambridge gives the US pronunciation as /ˈæs.tɚ.ɪsk/. Oxford gives /ˈæstərɪsk/.
The word has three syllables in the standard pronunciation:
as-ter-isk
The final syllable ends with the sound represented by -isk.
That’s worth remembering because the spelling confusion often involves reversing the final s and k sounds.
Why Pronunciation Can Cause Spelling Errors
English contains plenty of words whose spelling doesn’t map perfectly onto the way people hear them.
When someone encounters an unfamiliar word, they often use sound as a spelling guide. That’s a reasonable strategy, but it doesn’t always work.
With asterisk, the listener may hear the final consonants in a way that encourages the spelling asteriks.
The reliable solution is simple: learn the standard written form as a complete word.
asterisk = A-S-T-E-R-I-S-K
Once that spelling becomes familiar, the pronunciation-based mistake becomes much easier to avoid.
The Origin of the Word Asterisk
The history of asterisk also explains why the word looks the way it does.
Oxford traces the word through Late Middle English and Late Latin to the Greek asteriskos, meaning “small star.” The Greek form comes from astēr, meaning “star.”
That origin fits the symbol perfectly.
The character * looks like a tiny star, so the name essentially reflects its appearance.
A simplified historical path looks like this:
Greek astēr (“star”)
↓
Greek asteriskos (“little star”)
↓
Latin asteriscus
↓
English asterisk
Historical sources also show that English has used forms such as asterich and asterisc in earlier periods. The modern standard form eventually settled as asterisk.
Why the History Matters
The etymology provides a useful memory connection.
Think:
asterisk → little star → *
The word isn’t an arbitrary collection of letters. Its history connects directly to the star-like shape of the symbol.
That makes the correct spelling easier to remember.
Asterisk vs Asterix: Don’t Confuse the Two
Although the main comparison is asterisk vs asteriks, another spelling often appears in searches:
asterix
In ordinary English writing, asterisk is the spelling for the symbol.
However, Asterix can be a proper name. It refers to the fictional Gaulish character from the famous French comic series created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.
So context matters.
| Form | Typical meaning |
| asterisk | The typographical symbol * |
| asterisks | Plural of asterisk |
| asteriks | Misspelling of asterisk |
| Asterix | Name of the fictional comic character |
This distinction becomes especially useful when proofreading. If you’re discussing punctuation, footnotes, or symbols, asterisk is the word you want.
Asterisk in Digital Communication
The asterisk has moved far beyond traditional printed books.
You can now find * across websites, messaging platforms, software interfaces, forms, search tools, and online documentation.
Its meaning changes according to the system.
In Online Forms
An asterisk commonly marks required fields.
For example:
| Field | Required? |
| First name * | Yes |
| Last name * | Yes |
| Apartment number | No |
| Email address * | Yes |
This convention saves space while communicating an important instruction.
In Online Writing
People sometimes use asterisks to emphasize or correct text.
For example:
I meant Tuesday.
In plain-text environments, users may instead write:
I meant Tuesday.
Some messaging systems interpret pairs of asterisks as formatting markers. Others display them literally.
The exact behavior depends on the platform.
In Search and Computing
The * symbol also has technical functions.
In some search systems, it can act as a wildcard. In programming languages, it may represent operations such as multiplication or pointer-related behavior. Its meaning depends entirely on the language or application.
That technical use doesn’t change the spelling of the word.
You still call the symbol an asterisk.
Asterisk in Mathematics and Academic Writing
The symbol appears frequently in academic and technical material.
In statistics, researchers may use one or more asterisks to indicate levels of statistical significance. The exact convention varies by field and publication.
For example, a table might use:
| Result | Interpretation |
| 0.05 | No special marker |
| 0.01 | * |
| 0.001 | ** |
| 0.0001 | *** |
Those numbers are only an illustrative format. Researchers should follow the convention specified by their journal, field, or style guide.
The important linguistic point is that the symbols are still asterisks.
Cambridge’s corpus examples include academic uses in which asterisks indicate statistically significant correlations and other technical distinctions.
Common Mistakes With Asterisk
The spelling asteriks isn’t the only mistake people make.
Because the word can be unfamiliar and its pronunciation can cause confusion, several incorrect forms appear in everyday writing.
Asteriks
Incorrect: asteriks
Correct: asterisk
This is the exact spelling confusion covered by this article.
Asterick
Incorrect: asterick
Correct: asterisk
The k sound at the end can make some writers assume the word should end in -ick.
It doesn’t.
Asterix
Usually incorrect for the symbol: asterix
Correct: asterisk
Remember that Asterix is also a proper name, so the word isn’t simply meaningless. If you’re referring to the typographical mark, however, use asterisk.
Asterisks vs Asteriks
These are not two plural spellings.
Correct: asterisks
Incorrect: asteriks
The plural keeps the original -sk sequence and adds s.
Assuming Pronunciation Determines Spelling
This is perhaps the biggest underlying mistake.
English spelling often preserves historical patterns that aren’t obvious from modern pronunciation. If you spell every unfamiliar word exactly as it sounds, you’ll eventually run into trouble.
Asterisk is one of those words where checking the established spelling pays off.
A Simple Trick to Remember Asterisk
A quick memory trick can make the spelling stick:
Asterisk ends in SK.
Think of it as:
ASTER + ISK
Then remember:
asterisk → asterisks
The plural doesn’t rearrange anything.
Another useful connection is the word’s Greek origin. Since asteriskos meant “little star,” you can connect the spelling to the star-shaped symbol itself. Oxford traces the English word through Latin to this Greek origin.
The Three Forms to Remember
| Meaning | Form |
| One symbol | asterisk |
| More than one | asterisks |
| Incorrect spelling | asteriks |
If you remember those three forms, most common errors disappear.
Asterisk vs Asteriks: Real-World Examples
Consider how the correct word works in different situations.
Example: Website Form
Phone number *
Here, the asterisk tells users that the field is required.
Example: Product Advertisement
50% off*
The asterisk directs customers to a condition or qualification.
Example: Academic Paper
The researchers found a statistically significant difference.*
A note or statistical key can explain what the symbol represents.
Example: Printed Book
The author discusses this topic in greater detail.*
A footnote may provide additional information.
Example: Censored Text
The comment contained several asterisks.
Here, asterisks refers to multiple * characters.
Example: Linguistics
The linguist placed an asterisk before the sentence to indicate that the construction was unacceptable under the analysis.
The symbol has a specialized technical meaning in this context.
Asterisk vs Asteriks: Quick Comparison
Here’s the entire distinction in one table:
| Question | Answer |
| What is the correct spelling? | asterisk |
| Is asteriks correct? | No |
| What is the plural? | asterisks |
| What symbol does it represent? | * |
| What does it commonly mark? | Footnotes, notes, missing text, required fields, and other information |
| Can asterisk be a verb? | Yes |
| What does the verb mean? | To mark something with an asterisk |
| Why does the spelling cause confusion? | Its pronunciation can encourage phonetic spellings such as asteriks |
| What is the US pronunciation? | /ˈæs.tɚ.ɪsk/ |
| What does the word originally relate to? | A “little star” |
Frequently Asked Questions About Asterisk vs Asteriks
Is asterisk or asteriks correct?
Asterisk is correct.
Asteriks is a misspelling. Standard English dictionaries use asterisk for the star-shaped symbol *.
Is asteriks a word?
Asteriks isn’t the standard English spelling of the word for *.
Use asterisk instead.
What is the plural of asterisk?
The plural is asterisks.
For example:
The document contains three asterisks.
Don’t use asteriks as the plural.
How do you spell asterisk?
The correct spelling is:
A-S-T-E-R-I-S-K
The final two letters are S-K, not K-S.
Why does asterisk sound like asteriks?
Pronunciation can make the final consonants difficult to distinguish clearly, especially in quick speech. That can encourage a phonetic spelling such as asteriks.
However, standard dictionaries give the pronunciation with the -isk ending. Cambridge lists the US pronunciation as /ˈæs.tɚ.ɪsk/.
Is asterix a correct spelling?
For the typographical symbol, asterisk is the standard spelling.
Asterix is also a proper name associated with the fictional comic character, so it can be correct in that specific context.
What does the asterisk symbol mean?
The meaning depends on context.
It can:
- Refer readers to a footnote
- Point to additional information
- Mark a required field
- Indicate missing letters
- Replace letters in censored words
- Mark specialized linguistic forms
- Indicate statistical significance in some academic contexts
- Serve technical functions in computing and other fields
Is an asterisk a punctuation mark?
The asterisk is best described broadly as a typographical symbol. It has several roles in writing and publishing rather than functioning like a comma or period in every context.
Cambridge defines it as a symbol shaped like a star and documents several uses in writing.
Can asterisk be used as a verb?
Yes.
To asterisk something means to mark it with an asterisk.
For example:
The editor asterisked the entries that needed further explanation.
Oxford lists asterisk as both a noun and a verb.
Final Answer: Asterisk or Asteriks?
When you’re choosing between asterisk vs asteriks, the answer is straightforward:
Asterisk is the correct spelling.
Asteriks is a misspelling.
The singular form is asterisk, while the plural is asterisks. The word names the star-shaped symbol *, which commonly points readers to footnotes or additional information. It can also mark required fields, represent missing letters, censor portions of words, and serve specialized purposes in linguistics, statistics, computing, and other fields.
The spelling confusion makes sense because pronunciation can lead people to rearrange the final s and k sounds. Still, the standard written form remains asterisk.
The easiest rule to remember is simple:
Asterisk ends with -isk. Asterisks is its plural. Asteriks is incorrect.
Once that pattern sticks, you’ll have no trouble choosing the right spelling.
