# tattoo

> English word · Noun · IPA /tæˈtuː/ · frequency rank #5,742

## Definitions
1. An image made on a body part, usually the skin with ink and a needle.
2. A method of decorating a body part, usually the skin, by inserting colored substances under the surface with a sharp instrument (usually a solenoid-driven needle).

## Etymology
From earlier tattaow, tattow, a borrowing from a Polynesian language, e.g. Samoan tatau (“tattoo; to tap, to strike”).

## Easily confused with
- **tattooed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tattoo-vs-tattooed)
- **taboo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taboo-vs-tattoo)
- **tanto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tanto-vs-tattoo)

## Common misspellings (6)
`atttoo`, `tatoo`, `tatoto`, `tatto`, `ttatoo`, `ttattoo`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-09-03.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tattoo