target

/ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/

//ˈtɑː.ɡɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“target” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,619. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#1,619
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.

Corpus desk

Index EN-target · target · English

target · rank #1,619 · 9 variants · 9 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #1,619
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 9 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH shouldn't

Nearest frequency peer: shouldn't (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “target”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “target” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

target vs tart
67% similar
target vs tarot
67% similar
target vs taught
67% similar

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

Key facts for target
PropertyValue
Headwordtarget
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,619
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “target” 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). target lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around target (IPA /ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #1,619 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 18 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for target, with forms such as "atrget", "tagret", and "taregt". 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. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "tart", "tarot", "taught", 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 Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe (“light shield”), from Old French, from Frankish *targa (“buckler”), akin to Old Norse targa (“small round shield”) (whence also Old English targe, targa (“shield”)) from Proto-Germanic *targǭ (“edg… The correct English form is target, spelled T-A-R-G-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
  2. 2
    A goal or objective.
  3. 3
    An object of criticism or ridicule.
  4. 4
    A person, place, or thing that is frequently attacked, criticized, or ridiculed.
  5. 5
    A kind of shield:
  6. 6
    A kind of shield:
  7. 7
    A kind of shield:
  8. 8
    The pattern or arrangement of a series of hits made by a marksman on a butt or mark.
  9. 9
    The sliding crosspiece, or vane, on a leveling staff.
  10. 10
    A conspicuous disk attached to a switch lever to show its position, or for use as a signal.
  11. 11
    the number of runs that the side batting last needs to score in the final innings in order to win
  12. 12
    The tenor of a metaphor.
  13. 13
    The codomain of a function; the object at which a morphism points.
  14. 14
    The translated version of a document, or the language into which translation occurs.
  15. 15
    A person (or group of people) that a person or organization is trying to employ or to have as a customer, audience etc.
  16. 16
    A thin cut; a slice; specifically, of lamb, a piece consisting of the neck and breast joints.
  17. 17
    A tassel or pendant.
  18. 18
    A shred; a tatter.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Take careful aim at the target.
  2. Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.[…]Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitio…

Etymology

From Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe (“light shield”), from Old French, from Frankish *targa (“buckler”), akin to Old Norse targa (“small round shield”) (whence also Old English targe, targa (“shield”)) from Proto-Germanic *targǭ (“edge”), from Proto-Indo-European *derǵʰ- (“fenced lot”). Akin to Old High German zarga (“side wall, rim”) (German Zarge (“frame”)), Spanish tarjeta (“card”).

Synonyms

target language

This word in other languages

blanco(Español)cible(Français)Zielscheibe(Deutsch)alvo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atrget
  • tagret
  • taregt
  • targett
  • targget
  • targte
  • tarrget
  • traget
  • ttarget

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

atrget2tagret2taregt2targett1targget1targte2tarrget1traget2
Edit distance from "target"

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "target"?
"target" is spelled T-A-R-G-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/.
What does "target" mean?
As a noun, "target" means: A butt or mark to shoot at, as for practice, or to test the accuracy of a firearm, or the force of a projectile.
What words are commonly confused with "target"?
"target" is commonly confused with "tart", "tarot", "taught". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "target"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "target" is /ˈtɑː.ɡɪt/. 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 "target"?
From Middle French targette, targuete, diminutive of targe (“light shield”), from Old French, from Frankish *targa (“buckler”), akin to Old Norse targa (“small round shield”) (whence also Old English targe, targa (“shield”)) from Proto-Germanic *t... 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 "target", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

sexual#1,617seemed#1,616animal#1,623larger#1,605

Similar misspelling depth

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

follows9 variantsfeature9 variantsmemory9 variantsbudget9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "target". Here's where to go from here.

  • "target" maps to 9 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "tart". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #1,619 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "T" letter cohort. T–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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