tag

/tæɡ/

//tæɡ// noun

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

"tag" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tag” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,397 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,397
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Physical appendage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tag vs to
33% similar
tag vs TV
0% similar
tag vs te
33% similar

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

Key facts for tag
PropertyValue
Headwordtag
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tæɡ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#3,397
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tag” 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). tag 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 tag is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tæɡ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,397 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 22 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for tag in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "to", "TV", "te", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tagge (“small piece hanging from a garment”), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian tagg (“point; prong; barb; tag”), Swedish tagg (“thorn; prickle; tine”), Icelandic tág (“a willow-twig”). Compare also tack. The correct English form is tag, spelled T-A-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physical appendage.
  2. 2
    Physical appendage.
  3. 3
    Physical appendage.
  4. 4
    Physical appendage.
  5. 5
    Physical appendage.
  6. 6
    Physical appendage.
  7. 7
    Physical appendage.
  8. 8
    Physical appendage.
  9. 9
    Last nonphysical appendage.
  10. 10
    Last nonphysical appendage.
  11. 11
    Last nonphysical appendage.
  12. 12
    Nonphysical label.
  13. 13
    Nonphysical label.
  14. 14
    Nonphysical label.
  15. 15
    Identity.
  16. 16
    Identity.
  17. 17
    Involving being tagged physically.
  18. 18
    Involving being tagged physically.
  19. 19
    Signature.
  20. 20
    Signature.
  21. 21
    A type of cardboard.
  22. 22
    A sheep in its first year.

Etymology

From Middle English tagge (“small piece hanging from a garment”), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian tagg (“point; prong; barb; tag”), Swedish tagg (“thorn; prickle; tine”), Icelandic tág (“a willow-twig”). Compare also tack.

Synonyms

dobbyithittigtiggytuggytouchcatchchaseticktiphad

This word in other languages

etiqueta(Español)étiquette(Français)Etikett(Deutsch)etiqueta(Português)

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 "tag"?
"tag" is spelled T-A-G. The IPA pronunciation is /tæɡ/.
What does "tag" mean?
As a noun, "tag" means: Physical appendage.
What words are commonly confused with "tag"?
"tag" is commonly confused with "to", "TV", "te". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tag"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tag" is /tæɡ/. 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 "tag"?
From Middle English tagge (“small piece hanging from a garment”), probably of North Germanic origin. Compare Norwegian tagg (“point; prong; barb; tag”), Swedish tagg (“thorn; prickle; tine”), Icelandic tág (“a willow-twig”). Compare also tack. 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 “tag”

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

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