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PlainSpell

tacky

/ˈtæki/adjective, noun

tacky is spelled T-A-C-K-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, tacky means “Of a substance, slightly sticky” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in tacky?

Letters5: T-A-C-K-Y
Syllables2 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing1.5 times per million words; the 22,965th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is tacky?

Tacky appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,965th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce tacky?

  • /ˈtæki/

Tacky has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tacky.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of tacky

  • tackier comparative
  • tackiest superlative
  • tackies plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does tacky mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adjective

  1. 1

    Of a substance, slightly sticky.

    This paint isn't dry yet; it's still a bit tacky.

  2. 2

    colloquialOf low quality.

    That market stall sells all sorts of tacky ornaments.

  3. 3

    colloquialIn poor taste.

    That was a tacky thing to say.

  4. 4

    Gaudy or flashy.

  5. 5

    Shabby, dowdy in one's appearance or dress.

noun

  1. 1

    Alternative form of tackey.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

Tacky in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchcollant (slightly sticky), quétaine (colloquial: in bad taste)
Germanklebrig (slightly sticky), geschmacklos (colloquial: in bad taste), billig, minderwertig (colloquial: of low quality), schäbig (dowdy, shabbily dressed)
Portuguesepegajoso, grudento (slightly sticky), de mau gosto, brega, cafona (colloquial: in bad taste), fajuto (colloquial: of low quality)
Spanishpegajoso (slightly sticky), naco (colloquial: in bad taste), chopo, cutre, chafa, patito (colloquial: of low quality)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does tacky come from?

From tack + -y.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after tacky