Torpedo

[tɔʁˈpeːdo]

/[tɔʁˈpeːdo]/ noun

The verdict

“Torpedo” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #38,451 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#38,451
frequency rank, German
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - unbemannte Unterwasserwaffe mit eigenem Antrieb

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Torpedo vs Torpedos
88% similar
Torpedo vs Toledo
71% similar
Torpedo vs Tornado
71% similar

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

Key facts for Torpedo
PropertyValue
HeadwordTorpedo
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[tɔʁˈpeːdo]
Letters7
Frequency rank#38,451
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Torpedo” sits in German 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). Torpedo lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Torpedo is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [tɔʁˈpeːdo]. Corpus data places it at rank #38,451 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "unbemannte Unterwasserwaffe mit eigenem Antrieb".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Torpedo, with forms such as "otrpedo", "topredo", and "torepdo". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Torpedos", "Toledo", "Tornado", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is Torpedo, spelled T-O-R-P-E-D-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    unbemannte Unterwasserwaffe mit eigenem Antrieb

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otrpedo,topredo,torepdo,torpdeo,torpeddo,torpeod,torppedo,torrpedo,tropedo,ttorpedo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Torpedo - 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.

otrpedo2topredo2torepdo2torpdeo2torpeddo1torpeod2torppedo1torrpedo1
Edit distance from "Torpedo"

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 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Torpedo"?
"Torpedo" is spelled T-O-R-P-E-D-O. The IPA pronunciation is [tɔʁˈpeːdo].
What does "Torpedo" mean?
As a noun, "Torpedo" means: unbemannte Unterwasserwaffe mit eigenem Antrieb
What words are commonly confused with "Torpedo"?
"Torpedo" is commonly confused with "Torpedos", "Toledo", "Tornado". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Torpedo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Torpedo" is [tɔʁˈpeːdo]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Torpedo" come from?
"Torpedo" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “Torpedo”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is T-O-R-P-E-D-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [tɔʁˈpeːdo] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Torpedos” - see the side-by-side comparison. Torpedo vs Torpedos
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
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