tankard

/ˈtæŋkɚd/

//ˈtæŋkɚd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tankard” is uncommon English (frequency #62,559 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,559
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large drinking vessel, sometimes of pewter, sometimes with a glass base, with one handle and often a hinged cover.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tankard · tankard · English

tankard · rank #62,559 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #62,559
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tandoori

Nearest frequency peer: tandoori (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “tankard”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “tankard” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tankard
PropertyValue
Headwordtankard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæŋkɚd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#62,559
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tankard” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).tankardfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “tandoori” (#62,558), “tarpon” (#62,561), “Tamaki” (#62,556). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tankard” is #62,559. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tankard is uncommon English at frequency #62,559 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtæŋkɚd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A large drinking vessel, sometimes of pewter, sometimes with a glass base, with one handle and often a hinged cover.".

tankard has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tan(c)kard(e), denoting 'a large tub for carrying liquid', perhaps related to Dutch tanckaert, from Middle Dutch tanckaert, meaning the same thing, but of uncertain ultimate origin. The OED suggests an alteration of Medieval Latin *kanta… The correct English form is tankard, spelled T-A-N-K-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large drinking vessel, sometimes of pewter, sometimes with a glass base, with one handle and often a hinged cover.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I sure would be much happier with a tankard of mead right about now.
  2. It was a miserable evening; outside it was snowing and blowing, and in the squire's parlour the candle burned so dimly that you could scarcely distinguish anything in the room but a clock-case with some Chinese ornaments, a large mirror in an old-fashioned frame, and a silver family tankard.

Etymology

From Middle English tan(c)kard(e), denoting 'a large tub for carrying liquid', perhaps related to Dutch tanckaert, from Middle Dutch tanckaert, meaning the same thing, but of uncertain ultimate origin. The OED suggests an alteration of Medieval Latin *kantard, from Latin cantharus (“tankard”). Klein suggests French tant quart (“as much of a quarter”). Meaning "drinking vessel" is first recorded late 15th century.

This word in other languages

jarra(Español)chope(Français)Humpen(Deutsch)

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 "tankard"?
"tankard" is spelled T-A-N-K-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæŋkɚd/.
What does "tankard" mean?
As a noun, "tankard" means: A large drinking vessel, sometimes of pewter, sometimes with a glass base, with one handle and often a hinged cover.
How do you pronounce "tankard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tankard" is /ˈtæŋkɚd/. 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 "tankard"?
From Middle English tan(c)kard(e), denoting 'a large tub for carrying liquid', perhaps related to Dutch tanckaert, from Middle Dutch tanckaert, meaning the same thing, but of uncertain ultimate origin. The OED suggests an alteration of Medieval La... 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 "tankard", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tilling#62,573trifles#62,583Sonoran#62,524snuggly#62,521

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list