tangerine

/ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/

//ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn// noun

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

"tangerine" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tangerine” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,373. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,373
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A slightly ovoid, orange-coloured citrus fruit with a rough peel and a sour-sweet taste which is larger than a clementine and sometimes classed as a variety of mandarin orange.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tangerine · tangerine · English

tangerine · rank #31,373 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,373
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH takeout

Nearest frequency peer: takeout (-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 “tangerine”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tangerine” 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
Key facts for tangerine
PropertyValue
Headwordtangerine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#31,373
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tangerine”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tangerinelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “takeout” (#31,372), “taro” (#31,374), “Taggart” (#31,371). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tangerine” is #31,373. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around tangerine (IPA /ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,373 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for tangerine, with forms such as "atngerine", "tagnerine", and "tanegrine". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French Tanger + -ine, after Tangier, Morocco. The correct English form is tangerine, spelled T-A-N-G-E-R-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A slightly ovoid, orange-coloured citrus fruit with a rough peel and a sour-sweet taste which is larger than a clementine and sometimes classed as a variety of mandarin orange.
  2. 2
    A deep yellowish-orange colour, like that of a tangerine fruit.
  3. 3
    A tree that produces tangerines.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As Hiro approaches, Vitaly watches his sword uncertainly. Vitaly's eyes are dry and red, and on his lower lip he is sporting a chancre the size of a tangerine.
  2. The sun was beginning to set, and under the tangerine sky, Reese tugged his undershirt over his head.

Etymology

From French Tanger + -ine, after Tangier, Morocco.

This word in other languages

mandarina(Español)tangerine(Français)Mandarine(Deutsch)tangerina(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atngerine
  • tagnerine
  • tanegrine
  • tangeirne
  • tangerien
  • tangerinne
  • tangernie
  • tangerrine
  • tanggerine
  • tangreine
  • tanngerine
  • tnagerine
  • ttangerine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atngerine2tagnerine2tanegrine2tangeirne2tangerien2tangerinne1tangernie2tangerrine1
Edit distance from "tangerine"

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 "tangerine"?
"tangerine" is spelled T-A-N-G-E-R-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/.
What does "tangerine" mean?
As a noun, "tangerine" means: A slightly ovoid, orange-coloured citrus fruit with a rough peel and a sour-sweet taste which is larger than a clementine and sometimes classed as a variety of mandarin orange.
What are common misspellings of "tangerine"?
Common misspellings include "atngerine", "tagnerine", "tanegrine", "tangeirne", "tangerien". The correct spelling is "tangerine".
How do you pronounce "tangerine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tangerine" is /ˈtæn.d͡ʒəˌɹiːn/. 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 "tangerine"?
From French Tanger + -ine, after Tangier, Morocco. 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 "tangerine", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

springing#31,359unclaimed#31,389slideshow#31,351scorecard#31,335

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

pituitary13 variantsCrichton13 variantscrumpled13 variantsdemeaning13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list