tantrum

/ˈtæn.tɹəm/

//ˈtæn.tɹəm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tantrum” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #24,609. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#24,609
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An often childish display or fit of bad temper.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tantrum · tantrum · English

tantrum · rank #24,609 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #24,609
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tanned

Nearest frequency peer: tanned (-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 “tantrum”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tantrum” 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).

tantrum vs Tatum
57% similar
tantrum vs tantra
71% similar
tantrum vs tantric
71% similar

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

Key facts for tantrum
PropertyValue
Headwordtantrum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæn.tɹəm/
Letters7
Frequency rank#24,609
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tantrum”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tantrumlands 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 “tanned” (#24,608), “synonym” (#24,607), “tectonic” (#24,611). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tantrum” is #24,609. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around tantrum (IPA /ˈtæn.tɹəm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #24,609 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An often childish display or fit of bad temper.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for tantrum, with forms such as "atntrum", "tanntrum", and "tanrtum". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Tatum", "tantra", "tantric", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier tanterum. Further etymology unknown. The correct English form is tantrum, spelled T-A-N-T-R-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    An often childish display or fit of bad temper.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Many parents become embarrassed by their children throwing tantrums in public places.
  2. Baby Shawn threw a tantrum when he was told the bicycle was not his.

Etymology

From earlier tanterum. Further etymology unknown.

Synonyms

dummy spithissy fitmeltdowntantrumcatfitconniptionconniption fitheadfithissymeltypaddyshit fitsnit fitwobblerwobbly

This word in other languages

rabieta(Español)caprice(Français)Wutanfall(Deutsch)chilique(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atntrum
  • tanntrum
  • tanrtum
  • tantrmu
  • tantrrum
  • tantrumm
  • tanttrum
  • tanturm
  • tatnrum
  • tnatrum
  • ttantrum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atntrum2tanntrum1tanrtum2tantrmu2tantrrum1tantrumm1tanttrum1tanturm2
Edit distance from "tantrum"

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 "tantrum"?
"tantrum" is spelled T-A-N-T-R-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæn.tɹəm/.
What does "tantrum" mean?
As a noun, "tantrum" means: An often childish display or fit of bad temper.
What words are commonly confused with "tantrum"?
"tantrum" is commonly confused with "Tatum", "tantra", "tantric". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tantrum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tantrum" is /ˈtæn.tɹəm/. 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 "tantrum"?
From earlier tanterum. Further etymology unknown. 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 "tantrum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

synonym#24,607templar#24,613stately#24,600soulful#24,596

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

standoff11 variantsupheaval11 variantsslowest11 variantssizzling11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list