# taunt

> English word · Verb · IPA /tɔːnt/ · frequency rank #30,616

## Definitions
1. To make fun of (someone); to goad (a person) into responding, often in an aggressive manner.

## Etymology
From Middle French tanter (“to tempt, try, provoke”), variant of Old French tempter (“to try”). Doublet of tempt.

## Easily confused with
- **TNT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tnt)
- **tun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tun)
- **tut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tut)
- **tune** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tune)
- **tent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tent)
- **tuna** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tuna)
- **tint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tint)
- **tout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tout)
- **tung** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tung)
- **taut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-taut)
- **Thun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-thun)
- **tuft** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tuft)
- **trust** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-trust)
- **trunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-trunk)
- **Trent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-trent)
- **tawny** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-tawny)
- **thunk** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-thunk)
- **Taunton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/taunt-vs-taunton)
- **tan** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tan-vs-taunt)
- **tat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tat-vs-taunt)

## Common misspellings (7)
`atunt`, `tanut`, `taunnt`, `tauntt`, `tautn`, `ttaunt`, `tuant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/taunt