tattered

/ˈtætəd/

//ˈtætəd// adj

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

"tattered" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tattered” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,978. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,978
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Rent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tattered · tattered · English

tattered · rank #35,978 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,978
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH technicality

Nearest frequency peer: technicality (+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 “tattered”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tattered” 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).

tattered vs tatters
75% similar
tattered vs tattooed
75% similar
tattered vs tethered
75% similar

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

Key facts for tattered
PropertyValue
Headwordtattered
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtætəd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#35,978
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tattered”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tatteredlands 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 “technicality” (#35,979), “synapses” (#35,976), “swordsman” (#35,975). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tattered” is #35,978. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around tattered (IPA /ˈtætəd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #35,978 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for tattered, with forms such as "atttered", "tatered", and "tatetred". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "tatters", "tattooed", "tethered", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tatered, tatird, from Old Norse tǫturr. Originally, it was derived from the noun, but it was later reanalysed as a past participle (tatter + -ed), whereafter the verb came into being. Compare tatter. The correct English form is tattered, spelled T-A-T-T-E-R-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Rent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.
  2. 2
    Dressed in tatters or rags; ragged.
  3. 3
    Dilapidated; showing gaps or breaks; jagged; broken.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The chattering, irrational brute of the subconscious clothes itself in the tattered garments of rationality and idealism.
  2. This is the Prieſt all ſhaven and ſhorn, that married the man all tattered and torn[.]

Etymology

From Middle English tatered, tatird, from Old Norse tǫturr. Originally, it was derived from the noun, but it was later reanalysed as a past participle (tatter + -ed), whereafter the verb came into being. Compare tatter.

This word in other languages

andrajoso(Español)abîmé(Français)esfarrapado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • atttered
  • tatered
  • tatetred
  • tatteerd
  • tatterde
  • tatteredd
  • tatterred
  • tattreed
  • ttatered
  • ttattered

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tattered - 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.

atttered2tatered1tatetred2tatteerd2tatterde2tatteredd1tatterred1tattreed2
Edit distance from "tattered"

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 "tattered"?
"tattered" is spelled T-A-T-T-E-R-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtætəd/.
What does "tattered" mean?
As an adjective, "tattered" means: Rent in tatters, torn, hanging in rags; ragged.
What words are commonly confused with "tattered"?
"tattered" is commonly confused with "tatters", "tattooed", "tethered". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tattered"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tattered" is /ˈtætəd/. 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 "tattered"?
From Middle English tatered, tatird, from Old Norse tǫturr. Originally, it was derived from the noun, but it was later reanalysed as a past participle (tatter + -ed), whereafter the verb came into being. Compare tatter. 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 "tattered", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

synapses#35,976testicle#35,982tinnitus#35,989volition#36,008

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

thrush10 variantsVilnius10 variantssnarky10 variantswretch10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list