tangible

/ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/

//ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l// adj

"tangible" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tangible” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,984 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#11,984
frequency rank, English
8
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Touchable; able to be touched or felt; perceptible by the sense of touch.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tangible vs tangle
75% similar

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

Key facts for tangible
PropertyValue
Headwordtangible
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,984
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tangible” 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). tangible 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 tangible is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,984 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for tangible, with forms such as "atngible", "tagnible", and "tangable". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "tangle", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French tangible, from Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tangere (“to touch”) The correct English form is tangible, spelled T-A-N-G-I-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Touchable; able to be touched or felt; perceptible by the sense of touch.
  2. 2
    Perceptible; able to be perceived.
  3. 3
    Able to be treated as fact; real or concrete.
  4. 4
    Comprehensible by the mind; understandable.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French tangible, from Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tangere (“to touch”)

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atngible,tagnible,tangable,tangbile,tanggible,tangibble,tangibel,tangiblle,tangilbe,tanigble,tanngible,tnagible,ttangible

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atngible2tagnible2tangable1tangbile2tanggible1tangibble1tangibel2tangiblle1
Edit distance from "tangible"

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 "tangible"?
"tangible" is spelled T-A-N-G-I-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/.
What does "tangible" mean?
As an adjective, "tangible" means: Touchable; able to be touched or felt; perceptible by the sense of touch.
What words are commonly confused with "tangible"?
"tangible" is commonly confused with "tangle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tangible"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tangible" is /ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/. 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 "tangible"?
Borrowed from Middle French tangible, from Late Latin tangibilis, from Latin tangere (“to touch”) 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 “tangible”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-A-N-G-I-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtæn.d͡ʒɪ.b(ə)l/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tangle” - see the side-by-side comparison. tangible vs tangle
  • 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