fortune teller

/ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/

//ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə// noun

"fortune-teller" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fortune teller” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
14
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who professes to predict the future in return for money.

Key facts for fortune teller
PropertyValue
Headwordfortune teller
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/
Letters14
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fortune teller” sits in English frequency

fortune teller falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fortune teller is 14 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for fortune teller in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is fortune teller, spelled F-O-R-T-U-N-E- -T-E-L-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who professes to predict the future in return for money.
  2. 2
    A cootie catcher.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "fortune teller"?
"fortune teller" is spelled F-O-R-T-U-N-E- -T-E-L-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/.
What does "fortune teller" mean?
As a noun, "fortune teller" means: A person who professes to predict the future in return for money.
How do you pronounce "fortune teller"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortune teller" is /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fortune teller" come from?
"fortune teller" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “fortune teller”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-T-U-N-E- -T-E-L-L-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɔːt͡ʃuːn ˈtɛlə/ (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
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