tapioca

/tæpiˈoʊkə/

//tæpiˈoʊkə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tapioca” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,210. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,210
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tapioca · tapioca · English

tapioca · rank #46,210 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,210
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tangier

Nearest frequency peer: tangier (-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 “tapioca”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tapioca” 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
Key facts for tapioca
PropertyValue
Headwordtapioca
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tæpiˈoʊkə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#46,210
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tapioca”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tapiocalands 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 “tangier” (#46,209), “taskforce” (#46,211), “taiga” (#46,208). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tapioca” is #46,210. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around tapioca (IPA /tæpiˈoʊkə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,210 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for tapioca, with forms such as "atpioca", "taipoca", and "tapicoa". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from Old Tupi tapi'oka. The correct English form is tapioca, spelled T-A-P-I-O-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings.
  2. 2
    The cassava plant, Manihot esculenta, from which tapioca is derived; manioc.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Fish eyes and glue we used to call the half-cooked, large-grained, starchy tapioca without flavour that we were served every week in our residence at university. How I longed for the creamy pudding Mother used to make.
  2. It happened when beverage aficionados learned that tapioca, the starch used to make the sweet, round, chewy black bubbles — or pearls — that are the featured topping in the popular boba tea drink, was in short supply.

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from Old Tupi tapi'oka.

This word in other languages

tapioca(Español)couac(Français)tapioca(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atpioca
  • taipoca
  • tapicoa
  • tapioac
  • tapiocca
  • tapoica
  • tappioca
  • tpaioca
  • ttapioca

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atpioca2taipoca2tapicoa2tapioac2tapiocca1tapoica2tappioca1tpaioca2
Edit distance from "tapioca"

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 "tapioca"?
"tapioca" is spelled T-A-P-I-O-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is /tæpiˈoʊkə/.
What does "tapioca" mean?
As a noun, "tapioca" means: A starchy food made from the cassava plant, used in puddings.
What are common misspellings of "tapioca"?
Common misspellings include "atpioca", "taipoca", "tapicoa", "tapioac", "tapiocca". The correct spelling is "tapioca".
How do you pronounce "tapioca"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tapioca" is /tæpiˈoʊkə/. 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 "tapioca"?
Borrowed from Portuguese tapioca, from Old Tupi tapi'oka. 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 "tapioca", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tangier#46,209Vedanta#46,250walkman#46,258Sakurai#46,158

Similar misspelling depth

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

sweety9 variantssilken9 variantsShinto9 variantsWilmot9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list