bobtail

/ˈbɑbteɪl/

//ˈbɑbteɪl// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"bobtail" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bobtail” is uncommon English (frequency #97,864 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,864
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A short, or deliberately shortened tail.

Key facts for bobtail
PropertyValue
Headwordbobtail
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɑbteɪl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#97,864
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bobtail” sits in English 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). bobtail lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

bobtail is uncommon English at frequency #97,864 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɑbteɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

bobtail has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From bob + tail. The correct English form is bobtail, spelled B-O-B-T-A-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A short, or deliberately shortened tail.
  2. 2
    An animal that has a bobtail, such as certain canines or nags.
  3. 3
    A tractor which performs without its trailer.
  4. 4
    A tractor-trailer that is relatively short in length.
  5. 5
    A tractor-trailer that is relatively short in length.
  6. 6
    An open-ended straight or four flush.
  7. 7
    A bobtail squid.
  8. 8
    A bobtail skink.

Etymology

From bob + tail.

This word in other languages

colín(Español)

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "bobtail"?
"bobtail" is spelled B-O-B-T-A-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɑbteɪl/.
What does "bobtail" mean?
As a noun, "bobtail" means: A short, or deliberately shortened tail.
How do you pronounce "bobtail"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bobtail" is /ˈbɑbteɪl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "bobtail"?
From bob + tail. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “bobtail”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-B-T-A-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɑbteɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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