tater

/ˈteɪtə/

//ˈteɪtə// noun

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

"tater" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tater” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #47,371. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#47,371
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A potato.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tater · tater · English

tater · rank #47,371 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #47,371
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tarn

Nearest frequency peer: tarn (-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 “tater”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tater” 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).

tater vs ter
60% similar
tater vs tier
60% similar
tater vs tote
60% similar

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

Key facts for tater
PropertyValue
Headwordtater
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈteɪtə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#47,371
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tater”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “tarn” (#47,370), “taxicab” (#47,372), “tanto” (#47,369). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tater” is #47,371. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around tater (IPA /ˈteɪtə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #47,371 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for tater, with forms such as "atter", "taetr", and "taterr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ter", "tier", "tote", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Representing an aphetic pronunciation of potato. Compare patater (“potato”), 'mater (“tomato”), and 'naner (“banana”). The correct English form is tater, spelled T-A-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A potato.
  2. 2
    A home run.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We ate them taters up real good.
  2. I went into the dining-room, and sot down afore a plate that had my name writ on a card onto it; and I did walk into the beef and 'taters and things about east.

Etymology

Representing an aphetic pronunciation of potato. Compare patater (“potato”), 'mater (“tomato”), and 'naner (“banana”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atter
  • taetr
  • taterr
  • tatre
  • tatter
  • ttaer
  • ttater

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tater - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

atter2taetr2taterr1tatre2tatter1ttaer2ttater1
Edit distance from "tater"

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 "tater"?
"tater" is spelled T-A-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈteɪtə/.
What does "tater" mean?
As a noun, "tater" means: A potato.
What words are commonly confused with "tater"?
"tater" is commonly confused with "ter", "tier", "tote". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tater"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tater" is /ˈteɪtə/. 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 "tater"?
Representing an aphetic pronunciation of potato. Compare patater (“potato”), 'mater (“tomato”), and 'naner (“banana”). 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 "tater", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tanto#47,369surry#47,362Thule#47,381thunk#47,382

Similar misspelling depth

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

sunnah7 variantsTiber7 variantsStyx7 variantsSkoda7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list