tabloid

Name: tabloid, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈtæblɔɪd/

//ˈtæblɔɪd// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“tabloid” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,090 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,090
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 10
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small, compressed portion of a chemical, drug, food substance, etc.; a pill, a tablet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tabloid vs tabled

71% similar

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

Key facts for tabloid
Property	Value
Headword	tabloid
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈtæblɔɪd/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#21,090
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tabloid” 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). tabloid lands here:

#21,090

#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 tabloid is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtæblɔɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,090 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for tabloid, with forms such as "atbloid", "tabbloid", and "tabliod". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "tabled", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from tabl(et) + -oid (suffix meaning ‘having the likeness of, resembling’), originally coined by the United Kingdom firm Burroughs, Wellcome & Company as a brand name for their medicines and other products such as tea in tablet form and … The correct English form is tabloid, spelled T-A-B-L-O-I-D.

Definition

1
A small, compressed portion of a chemical, drug, food substance, etc.; a pill, a tablet.
2
A compact or compressed version of something; especially something having a popular or sensational nature.
3
A compact or compressed version of something; especially something having a popular or sensational nature.
4
A compact or compressed version of something; especially something having a popular or sensational nature.

Etymology

The noun is derived from tabl(et) + -oid (suffix meaning ‘having the likeness of, resembling’), originally coined by the United Kingdom firm Burroughs, Wellcome & Company as a brand name for their medicines and other products such as tea in tablet form and registered as a trademark on 14 March 1884. Noun sense 2 (“compact or compressed version of something; especially something having a popular or sensational nature”) is influenced by noun sense 2.2 (“newspaper characterized as favouring stories of a popular or sensational nature over serious news”). The adjective and verb are derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

tabloide(Español)tabloïd(Français)Tabloid(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atbloid,tabbloid,tabliod,tablloid,tablodi,tabloidd,tabolid,talboid,tbaloid,ttabloid

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tabloid - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "tabloid"

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 "tabloid"?

"tabloid" is spelled T-A-B-L-O-I-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæblɔɪd/.

What does "tabloid" mean?

As a noun, "tabloid" means: A small, compressed portion of a chemical, drug, food substance, etc.; a pill, a tablet.

What words are commonly confused with "tabloid"?

"tabloid" is commonly confused with "tabled". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "tabloid"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tabloid" is /ˈtæblɔɪd/. 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 "tabloid"?

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 “tabloid”

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

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