tatty
/ˈtæti/noun, adjective
tatty is spelled T-A-T-T-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 75,877th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tatty means “A potato” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tatty is tatties.
How many letters and syllables are in tatty?
| Letters | 5: T-A-T-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 6 million words; the 75,877th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tatty?
Tatty appears about once in every 6 million words in written English, the 75,877th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce tatty?
- /ˈtæti/
Tatty has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-tatty.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with tatty
Also written: tat.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of tatty
- tatties plural
- tattier comparative
- tattiest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tatty mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
ScotlandA potato.
- 2
IndiaA woven mat or screen hung at a door or window and kept wet to moisten and cool the air as it enters.
- 3
A kind of reggae dance move.
- 4
Alternative form of tat (“tattoo”).
adjective
- 1
Tattered; dilapidated, distressed, worn-out, torn.
The tramp wore a tatty old overcoat.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Where does tatty come from?
Clipping of potato + -y.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).