table

/ˈteɪbl̩/

//ˈteɪbl̩// noun

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

"table" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“table” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #958 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#958
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

table vs Tal
40% similar
table vs take
60% similar
table vs talk
60% similar

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

Key facts for table
PropertyValue
Headwordtable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈteɪbl̩/
Letters5
Frequency rank#958
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “table” 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). table 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 English entry for table is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈteɪbl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #958 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for table, with forms such as "atble", "tabble", and "tabel". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Tal", "take", "talk", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English table, tabel, tabil, tabul, from Old English tabele, tabul, tablu, tabule, tabula (“board”); also as tæfl, tæfel, an early Germanic borrowing of Latin tabula (“tablet, board, plank, chart”). The sense of “piece of furniture” is… The correct English form is table, spelled T-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  2. 2
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  3. 3
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  4. 4
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  5. 5
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  6. 6
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  7. 7
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  8. 8
    Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
  9. 9
    A group of people at a table, for example, for a meal, meeting or game.
  10. 10
    A group of people at a table, for example, for a meal, meeting or game.
  11. 11
    A group of people at a table, for example, for a meal, meeting or game.
  12. 12
    A group of people at a table, for example, for a meal, meeting or game.
  13. 13
    A two-dimensional presentation of data.
  14. 14
    A two-dimensional presentation of data.
  15. 15
    A two-dimensional presentation of data.
  16. 16
    A two-dimensional presentation of data.
  17. 17
    The top of a stringed instrument, particularly a member of the violin family: the side of the instrument against which the strings vibrate.
  18. 18
    The flat topmost facet of a cut diamond.
  19. 19
    A flat gravestone supported on pillars.
  20. 20
    A writing tablet.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English table, tabel, tabil, tabul, from Old English tabele, tabul, tablu, tabule, tabula (“board”); also as tæfl, tæfel, an early Germanic borrowing of Latin tabula (“tablet, board, plank, chart”). The sense of “piece of furniture” is from Old French table, of same Latin origin; Old English used bēod or bord instead for this meaning: see board. Doublet of tabula and tavla.

Synonyms

gridvector

This word in other languages

mesa(Español)table(Français)Tisch(Deutsch)mesa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atble,tabble,tabel,tablle,talbe,tbale,tible,ttable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of table - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

atble2tabble1tabel2tablle1talbe2tbale2tible1ttable1
Edit distance from "table"

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 "table"?
"table" is spelled T-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈteɪbl̩/.
What does "table" mean?
As a noun, "table" means: Furniture with a top surface to accommodate a variety of uses.
What words are commonly confused with "table"?
"table" is commonly confused with "Tal", "take", "talk". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "table"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "table" is /ˈteɪbl̩/. 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 "table"?
Inherited from Middle English table, tabel, tabil, tabul, from Old English tabele, tabul, tablu, tabule, tabula (“board”); also as tæfl, tæfel, an early Germanic borrowing of Latin tabula (“tablet, board, plank, chart”). The sense of “piece of fur... 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 “table”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-A-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈteɪbl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Tal” - see the side-by-side comparison. table vs Tal
  • 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