tape

/teɪ̯p/

//teɪ̯p// noun

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

"tape" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tape” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,398 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,398
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tape vs te
50% similar
tape vs tp
50% similar
tape vs the
50% similar

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

Key facts for tape
PropertyValue
Headwordtape
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/teɪ̯p/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,398
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tape” 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). tape 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 tape is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /teɪ̯p/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,398 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for tape, with forms such as "atpe", "taep", and "tappe". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "te", "tp", "the", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tape, tappe, from Old English tæppa, tæppe (“ribbon, tape”); further origin unclear. Probably akin to Old Frisian tapia (“to pull, rip, tear”), Middle Low German tappen, tāpen (“to grab, pull, rip, tear, snatch”), Middle High German zāfe… The correct English form is tape, spelled T-A-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
  2. 2
    Thin and flat paper, plastic or similar flexible material, usually produced in the form of a roll.
  3. 3
    Finishing tape, stretched across a track to mark the end of a race.
  4. 4
    Magnetic or optical recording media in a roll; videotape or audio tape.
  5. 5
    Any video or audio recording, regardless of the method used to produce it.
  6. 6
    An unthinking, patterned response triggered by a particular stimulus.
  7. 7
    The series of prices at which a financial instrument trades.
  8. 8
    The wrapping of the primary puck-handling surface of a hockey stick.
  9. 9
    A strong flexible band rotating on pulleys for directing the sheets in a printing machine.
  10. 10
    Liquor, alcoholic drink, especially gin or brandy. (Especially in prison slang or among domestic servants and women.)
  11. 11
    Clipping of red tape (“time-consuming bureaucratic procedures”).

Etymology

From Middle English tape, tappe, from Old English tæppa, tæppe (“ribbon, tape”); further origin unclear. Probably akin to Old Frisian tapia (“to pull, rip, tear”), Middle Low German tappen, tāpen (“to grab, pull, rip, tear, snatch”), Middle High German zāfen, zāven (“to pull, tear”).

This word in other languages

cinta(Español)bande(Français)Band(Deutsch)fita(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: atpe,taep,tappe,tpae,ttape

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atpe2taep2tappe1tpae2ttape1
Edit distance from "tape"

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 "tape"?
"tape" is spelled T-A-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /teɪ̯p/.
What does "tape" mean?
As a noun, "tape" means: Flexible material in a roll with a sticky surface on one or both sides; adhesive tape.
What words are commonly confused with "tape"?
"tape" is commonly confused with "te", "tp", "the". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tape"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tape" is /teɪ̯p/. 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 "tape"?
From Middle English tape, tappe, from Old English tæppa, tæppe (“ribbon, tape”); further origin unclear. Probably akin to Old Frisian tapia (“to pull, rip, tear”), Middle Low German tappen, tāpen (“to grab, pull, rip, tear, snatch”), Middle High G... 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 “tape”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-A-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /teɪ̯p/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “te” - see the side-by-side comparison. tape vs te
  • 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