tack

/tæk/

//tæk// noun

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

"tack" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tack” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,973. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,973
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small nail with a flat head.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tack · tack · English

tack · rank #17,973 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,973
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tagging

Nearest frequency peer: tagging (+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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “tack”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “tack” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tack vs TC
0% similar
tack vs TK
0% similar
tack vs tax
50% similar

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

Key facts for tack
PropertyValue
Headwordtack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tæk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#17,973
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tack” 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). tack lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around tack (IPA /tæk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,973 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tack, with forms such as "atck", "tacck", and "tackk". 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, "TC", "TK", "tax", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tak, takke (“hook; staple; nail”), from Old Northern French taque (“nail, pin, peg”), from Frankish *takkō, from Proto-Germanic *takkô (“tip; point; protrusion; prong; tine; jag; spike; twig”), of unknown origin, but possibly from Proto-… The correct English form is tack, spelled T-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small nail with a flat head.
  2. 2
    A thumbtack.
  3. 3
    A loose seam used to temporarily fasten pieces of cloth.
  4. 4
    The lower corner on the leading edge of a sail relative to the direction of the wind.
  5. 5
    A course or heading that enables a sailing vessel to head upwind.
  6. 6
    A direction or course of action, especially a new one; a method or approach to solving a problem.
  7. 7
    The maneuver by which a sailing vessel turns its bow through the wind so that the wind changes from one side to the other.
  8. 8
    The distance a sailing vessel runs between these maneuvers when working to windward; a board.
  9. 9
    A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower corners of the courses when the vessel is close-hauled; also, a rope employed to pull the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom.
  10. 10
    Any of the various equipment and accessories worn by horses in the course of their use as domesticated animals.
  11. 11
    The stickiness of a compound, related to its cohesive and adhesive properties.
  12. 12
    Food generally; fare, especially of the hard bread or breadlike kind.
  13. 13
    That which is attached; a supplement; an appendix.
  14. 14
    Confidence; reliance.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A tough test for even the strongest climber, it was new to the Tour de France this year, but its debut will be remembered for the wrong reasons after one of those spectators scattered carpet tacks on the road and induced around 30 punctures among the group of riders including Bradley Wiggins, the Tour's overall leader, and his chief rivals.
  2. So stoutly held to tack by those near North-wales men;

Etymology

From Middle English tak, takke (“hook; staple; nail”), from Old Northern French taque (“nail, pin, peg”), from Frankish *takkō, from Proto-Germanic *takkô (“tip; point; protrusion; prong; tine; jag; spike; twig”), of unknown origin, but possibly from Proto-Indo-European *dHgʰ-n-, from the root *déHgʰ- (“to pinch; to tear, rip, fray”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Takke (“bough; branch; twig”), West Frisian takke (“branch”), tûk (“branch, smart, sharp”), Dutch tak (“twig; branch; limb”), German Zacke (“jag; prong; spike; tooth; peak”).

Synonyms

coming about

This word in other languages

tachuela(Español)cap(Français)Pinne(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atck
  • tacck
  • tackk
  • takc
  • tcak
  • ttack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atck2tacck1tackk1takc2tcak2ttack1
Edit distance from "tack"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tack"?
"tack" is spelled T-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /tæk/.
What does "tack" mean?
As a noun, "tack" means: A small nail with a flat head.
What words are commonly confused with "tack"?
"tack" is commonly confused with "TC", "TK", "tax". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tack" is /tæk/. 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 "tack"?
From Middle English tak, takke (“hook; staple; nail”), from Old Northern French taque (“nail, pin, peg”), from Frankish *takkō, from Proto-Germanic *takkô (“tip; point; protrusion; prong; tine; jag; spike; twig”), of unknown origin, but possibly f... 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 "tack", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tart#17,975stun#17,969ting#17,977Soho#17,961

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Adler6 variantsreuse6 variantsBoise6 variantsCher6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "tack". Here's where to go from here.

  • "tack" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "TC". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #17,973 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "T" letter cohort. T–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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