tarpaulin

/tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/

//tɑˈpɔː.lɪn// noun

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

"tarpaulin" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tarpaulin” is uncommon English (frequency #61,149 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,149
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth or plastic sheet, used as a cover or blanket (often as weatherproofing, or to keep loose cargo from blowing off a lorry).

Key facts for tarpaulin
PropertyValue
Headwordtarpaulin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#61,149
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tarpaulin” 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). tarpaulin 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

tarpaulin is uncommon English at frequency #61,149 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for tarpaulin in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tar + pall (“heavy canvas”) + -ing. The sailor sense reflects that sailors of centuries past often wore garments made of tarred cloth (for weatherproofing). The correct English form is tarpaulin, spelled T-A-R-P-A-U-L-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth or plastic sheet, used as a cover or blanket (often as weatherproofing, or to keep loose cargo from blowing off a lorry).
  2. 2
    Canvas waterproofed with tar, used as a cover.
  3. 3
    A hat made of, or covered with, painted or tarred cloth, worn by sailors and others.
  4. 4
    A sailor.

Etymology

From tar + pall (“heavy canvas”) + -ing. The sailor sense reflects that sailors of centuries past often wore garments made of tarred cloth (for weatherproofing).

This word in other languages

lona(Español)bâche(Français)Persenning(Deutsch)

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 "tarpaulin"?
"tarpaulin" is spelled T-A-R-P-A-U-L-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/.
What does "tarpaulin" mean?
As a noun, "tarpaulin" means: A heavy, waterproof sheet of material, often cloth or plastic sheet, used as a cover or blanket (often as weatherproofing, or to keep loose cargo from blowing off a lorry).
How do you pronounce "tarpaulin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tarpaulin" is /tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/. 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 "tarpaulin"?
From tar + pall (“heavy canvas”) + -ing. The sailor sense reflects that sailors of centuries past often wore garments made of tarred cloth (for weatherproofing). 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 “tarpaulin”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-A-R-P-A-U-L-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɑˈpɔː.lɪn/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list