tassel

/ˈtæsəl/

//ˈtæsəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tassel” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,447. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,447
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the ball is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end (often us...

Corpus desk

Index EN-tassel · tassel · English

tassel · rank #42,447 · 7 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,447
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tardy

Nearest frequency peer: tardy (-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 “tassel”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tassel” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tassel vs taste
67% similar
tassel vs tastes
67% similar
tassel vs tossed
67% similar

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

Key facts for tassel
PropertyValue
Headwordtassel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtæsəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#42,447
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tassel”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tassellands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “tardy” (#42,446), “thicket” (#42,448), “tapper” (#42,445). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tassel” is #42,447. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around tassel (IPA /ˈtæsəl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,447 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for tassel, with forms such as "atssel", "tasel", and "tasesl". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "taste", "tastes", "tossed", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tassel, from Old French tassel, from Latin tāxillus (“small cube”), from tālus (“ankle”). The correct English form is tassel, spelled T-A-S-S-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the ball is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end (often used as decoration along the bottom of garments, curtains or other hangings).
  2. 2
    The panicle on a male plant of maize, which consists of loose threads with anthers on them.
  3. 3
    The loose hairs at the end of a braid.
  4. 4
    A narrow silk ribbon, or similar, sewn to a book to be put between the pages.
  5. 5
    A piece of board that is laid upon a wall as a sort of plate, to give a level surface to the ends of floor timbers.
  6. 6
    A kind of bur used in dressing cloth; a teasel.
  7. 7
    A thin plate of gold on the back of a bishop's gloves.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Giant's boots were of pink leather and had tassels on them and his hat was decorated with an enormous pink ostrich feather, carefully curled.
  2. The plant world is very busy and helpful when it seems to be playing. The tall, plumy tassels at the tops of corn stalks, swing much as you do under the maple tree. But those tassels are so loaded with pollen that you can often see a brown dust hovering over a corn field. As the wind blows the tassels, the pollen is shaken down in clouds.

Etymology

From Middle English tassel, from Old French tassel, from Latin tāxillus (“small cube”), from tālus (“ankle”).

This word in other languages

borla(Español)panicule(Français)Quaste(Deutsch)borla(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atssel
  • tasel
  • tasesl
  • tassell
  • tassle
  • tsasel
  • ttassel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tassel - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

atssel2tasel1tasesl2tassell1tassle2tsasel2ttassel1
Edit distance from "tassel"

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 "tassel"?
"tassel" is spelled T-A-S-S-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtæsəl/.
What does "tassel" mean?
As a noun, "tassel" means: A ball-shaped bunch of plaited or otherwise entangled threads from which at one end protrudes a cord on which the ball is hung, and which may have loose, dangling threads at the other end (often us...
What words are commonly confused with "tassel"?
"tassel" is commonly confused with "taste", "tastes", "tossed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tassel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tassel" is /ˈtæsəl/. 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 "tassel"?
From Middle English tassel, from Old French tassel, from Latin tāxillus (“small cube”), from tālus (“ankle”). 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 "tassel", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tapper#42,445tinned#42,453stubby#42,427unsaid#42,472

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

uppers7 variantsWalid7 variantsWirral7 variantsXhosa7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list