tabard

/ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d/

//ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d// noun

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

"tabard" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tabard” is uncommon English (frequency #86,825 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#86,825
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A silk banner attached to a bugle or trumpet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tabard · tabard · English

tabard · rank #86,825 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #86,825
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH synchronise

Nearest frequency peer: synchronise (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “tabard”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “tabard” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tabard
PropertyValue
Headwordtabard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d/
Letters6
Frequency rank#86,825
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tabard” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tabardfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “synchronise” (#86,824), “symbiont” (#86,823), “sylva” (#86,822). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tabard” is #86,825. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tabard is uncommon English at frequency #86,825 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for tabard in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French tabart (“simple sleeveless overtunic; heavy overmantel”), of unknown origin. The correct English form is tabard, spelled T-A-B-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A silk banner attached to a bugle or trumpet.
  2. 2
    A sleeveless jerkin or loose overgarment.
  3. 3
    A sleeveless garment made of coarse cloth formerly worn outdoors by the common people.
  4. 4
    A cape or tunic worn by a knight, emblazoned with the coat of arms of his king or queen on the front.
  5. 5
    A similar garment officially worn by a herald and emblazoned with his sovereign's coat of arms.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how tabard appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The long rows of wheat-shocks marched like soldiers in worn yellow tabards.
  2. ‘I still cannot believe I actually did that!’ Maureen told me, recalling that time her and the Nanas turned up at former prime minister David Cameron's house in Oxfordshire on a tank Vivienne Westwood lent them, wearing tabards that said ‘The Oven Gloves Are Coming Off’.

Etymology

From Old French tabart (“simple sleeveless overtunic; heavy overmantel”), of unknown origin.

This word in other languages

tabardo(Español)tabard(Français)Tappert(Deutsch)

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 "tabard"?
"tabard" is spelled T-A-B-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d/.
What does "tabard" mean?
As a noun, "tabard" means: A silk banner attached to a bugle or trumpet.
How do you pronounce "tabard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tabard" is /ˈtæbɑː(ɹ)d/. 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 "tabard"?
From Old French tabart (“simple sleeveless overtunic; heavy overmantel”), of unknown origin. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "tabard", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Takara#86,828Tebbit#86,837stater#86,792Stanly#86,790

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list