tackle

/ˈtækəl/

//ˈtækəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tackle” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #5,636. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#5,636
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device for grasping an object and an attached means of moving it, as a rope and hook.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tackle · tackle · English

tackle · rank #5,636 · 9 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,636
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH swift

Nearest frequency peer: swift (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “tackle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “tackle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

tackle vs take
67% similar
tackle vs tale
67% similar
tackle vs tacky
67% similar

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

Key facts for tackle
PropertyValue
Headwordtackle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtækəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,636
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tackle”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).tacklelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “swift” (#5,635), “suspected” (#5,634), “timeline” (#5,638). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tackle” is #5,636. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around tackle (IPA /ˈtækəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #5,636 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tackle, with forms such as "atckle", "tacckle", and "tackel". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "take", "tale", "tacky", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English takel (“gear, apparatus”), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German takel (“ship's rigging”), perhaps related to Middle Dutch taken (“to grasp, seize”). Akin to Danish takkel (“tackle”), Swedish tackel (“tackle”). More at take. The correct English form is tackle, spelled T-A-C-K-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for grasping an object and an attached means of moving it, as a rope and hook.
  2. 2
    A block and tackle.
  3. 3
    Clothing.
  4. 4
    Equipment (rod, reel, line, lure, etc.) used when angling.
  5. 5
    Equipment, gear, gadgetry.
  6. 6
    A play where a player attempts to take control over the ball from an opponent, as in rugby or football.
  7. 7
    A play where a defender brings the ball carrier to the ground.
  8. 8
    Any instance in which one person intercepts another and forces them to the ground.
  9. 9
    An offensive line position between a guard and an end: offensive tackle; a person playing that position.
  10. 10
    A defensive position between two defensive ends: defensive tackle; a person playing that position.
  11. 11
    The penis.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. 2004 June 24–30, "Jeff Gordon Never Gets Tired Of Seeing Face On Cheap Plastic Crap", The Onion, available in Embedded in America, →ISBN, page 193, ... an illuminated license-plate frame bearing his likeness, signature, and yellow number 24. "That there's a real nice piece of tackle. ..."

Etymology

From Middle English takel (“gear, apparatus”), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German takel (“ship's rigging”), perhaps related to Middle Dutch taken (“to grasp, seize”). Akin to Danish takkel (“tackle”), Swedish tackel (“tackle”). More at take.

This word in other languages

equipo(Español)placage(Français)Angel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atckle
  • tacckle
  • tackel
  • tackkle
  • tacklle
  • taclke
  • takcle
  • tcakle
  • ttackle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tackle - 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.

atckle2tacckle1tackel2tackkle1tacklle1taclke2takcle2tcakle2
Edit distance from "tackle"

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 "tackle"?
"tackle" is spelled T-A-C-K-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtækəl/.
What does "tackle" mean?
As a noun, "tackle" means: A device for grasping an object and an attached means of moving it, as a rope and hook.
What words are commonly confused with "tackle"?
"tackle" is commonly confused with "take", "tale", "tacky". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tackle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tackle" is /ˈtækəl/. 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 "tackle"?
From Middle English takel (“gear, apparatus”), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German takel (“ship's rigging”), perhaps related to Middle Dutch taken (“to grasp, seize”). Akin to Danish takkel (“tackle”), Swedish tackel (“tackle”). More at take. 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 "tackle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

strain#5,633traded#5,640tricks#5,642urgent#5,644

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Rachel9 variantswrapped9 variantsNorway9 variantsminded9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list