tearful

/ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/

//ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl// adj

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

"tearful" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tearful” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,491. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,491
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Accompanied by tears; crying, or about to cry.

Key facts for tearful
PropertyValue
Headwordtearful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#29,491
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tearful” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around tearful (IPA /ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #29,491 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for tearful, with forms such as "etarful", "taerful", and "teafrul". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tear + -ful. The correct English form is tearful, spelled T-E-A-R-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Accompanied by tears; crying, or about to cry.
  2. 2
    Sorrowful.

Etymology

From tear + -ful.

This word in other languages

lloroso(Español)au bord des larmes(Français)tränenreich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etarful
  • taerful
  • teafrul
  • tearfful
  • tearflu
  • tearfull
  • tearrful
  • tearufl
  • teraful
  • ttearful

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tearful - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

etarful2taerful2teafrul2tearfful1tearflu2tearfull1tearrful1tearufl2
Edit distance from "tearful"

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 "tearful"?
"tearful" is spelled T-E-A-R-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/.
What does "tearful" mean?
As an adjective, "tearful" means: Accompanied by tears; crying, or about to cry.
What are common misspellings of "tearful"?
Common misspellings include "etarful", "taerful", "teafrul", "tearfful", "tearflu". The correct spelling is "tearful".
How do you pronounce "tearful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tearful" is /ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/. 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 "tearful"?
From tear + -ful. 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.

Using “tearful”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-A-R-F-U-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɪə(ɹ)fʊl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list