tanuki

/təˈnʊkɪ/

//təˈnʊkɪ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tanuki” is uncommon English (frequency #89,976 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#89,976
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus.

Key facts for tanuki
PropertyValue
Headwordtanuki
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/təˈnʊkɪ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#89,976
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tanuki” 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). tanuki lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tanuki is uncommon English at frequency #89,976 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /təˈnʊkɪ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for tanuki, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Japanese 狸(たぬき) (tanuki, “raccoon dog”). The correct English form is tanuki, spelled T-A-N-U-K-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    A raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus.
  2. 2
    A folkloric figure in the form of a tanuki, regarded as a shapeshifter and renowned for its enormous scrotum and testicles.
  3. 3
    The joining of a living bonsai tree to a piece of dead wood for aesthetic effect.

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 狸(たぬき) (tanuki, “raccoon dog”).

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 "tanuki"?
"tanuki" is spelled T-A-N-U-K-I. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈnʊkɪ/.
What does "tanuki" mean?
As a noun, "tanuki" means: A raccoon dog, Nyctereutes viverrinus.
How do you pronounce "tanuki"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tanuki" is /təˈnʊkɪ/. 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 "tanuki"?
Borrowed from Japanese 狸(たぬき) (tanuki, “raccoon dog”). 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 “tanuki”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-A-N-U-K-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /təˈnʊkɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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