tanker

/ˈtæŋkə/

//ˈtæŋkə// noun

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

"tanker" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tanker” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,365. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,365
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tanker · tanker · English

tanker · rank #16,365 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,365
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH swarm

Nearest frequency peer: swarm (-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 “tanker”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tanker” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tanker vs tanks
67% similar
tanker vs taper
67% similar
tanker vs taser
67% similar

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

Key facts for tanker
PropertyValue
Headwordtanker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæŋkə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,365
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tanker”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tankerlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “swarm” (#16,364), “taxis” (#16,366), “sturdy” (#16,363). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tanker” is #16,365. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around tanker (IPA /ˈtæŋkə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,365 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tanker, with forms such as "atnker", "takner", and "tanekr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tanks", "taper", "taser", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tank + -er. The correct English form is tanker, spelled T-A-N-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.
  2. 2
    A motor truck (lorry) with a tank to hold bulk liquid (with or without internal baffles): a fuel tanker (lorry), petrol tanker, road tanker.
  3. 3
    An aircraft carrying a large supply of jet fuel or avgas for aerial refueling of other aircraft, plus equipment allowing the in-air transfer of fuel.
  4. 4
    An aircraft built or modified to carry water and/or fire retardant for dropping on wildfires.
  5. 5
    A tank car (tank wagon).
  6. 6
    Member of a tank crew, or of an armoured unit.
  7. 7
    An airman who serves on the crew of an aerial refueling tanker aircraft.
  8. 8
    A longboard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The channel at Chan-chiang is being dredged to a depth of 50 feet enabling tankers of 70,000 tons to call.
  2. Nor is the government facing a strike by tanker drivers, as was the case in early 1979 during the winter of discontent.

Etymology

From tank + -er.

This word in other languages

navire-citerne(Français)Tanker(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atnker
  • takner
  • tanekr
  • tankerr
  • tankker
  • tankre
  • tannker
  • tnaker
  • ttanker

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tanker - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

atnker2takner2tanekr2tankerr1tankker1tankre2tannker1tnaker2
Edit distance from "tanker"

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 "tanker"?
"tanker" is spelled T-A-N-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæŋkə/.
What does "tanker" mean?
As a noun, "tanker" means: A tankship, a vessel used to transport large quantities of fluid.
What words are commonly confused with "tanker"?
"tanker" is commonly confused with "tanks", "taper", "taser". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tanker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tanker" is /ˈtæŋkə/. 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 "tanker"?
From tank + -er. 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 "tanker", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sturdy#16,363stoked#16,360winged#16,387wiping#16,388

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

trolley9 variantsTrudeau9 variantsreflex9 variantsplugged9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list