tail end

noun

"tail-end" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tail end” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The hindmost part of anything (a person, animal, or object), the rear end; the butt, buttocks; hindquarters, rump.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tail-end · tail end · English

tail end · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for tail end
PropertyValue
Headwordtail end
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters8
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tail end” in English

tail endsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tail end is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for tail end in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English taylende; equivalent to tail + end. The correct English form is tail end, spelled T-A-I-L- -E-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The hindmost part of anything (a person, animal, or object), the rear end; the butt, buttocks; hindquarters, rump.
  2. 2
    The last part of a period of time, event, or situation; the concluding or final part.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. At the tail end of summer.
  2. The tail end of a lecture.

Etymology

From Middle English taylende; equivalent to tail + end.

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tail end"?
"tail end" is spelled T-A-I-L- -E-N-D.
What does "tail end" mean?
As a noun, "tail end" means: The hindmost part of anything (a person, animal, or object), the rear end; the butt, buttocks; hindquarters, rump.
What is the origin of the word "tail end"?
From Middle English taylende; equivalent to tail + end. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list