teasel

/ˈtiːzəl/

//ˈtiːzəl// noun

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

"teasel" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“teasel” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus.

Key facts for teasel
PropertyValue
Headwordteasel
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtiːzəl/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “teasel” sits in English frequency

teasel falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

teasel is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtiːzəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for teasel in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tasel, tesel, from Old English tǣsel, tǣsl, from Proto-West Germanic *taisilu. The correct English form is teasel, spelled T-E-A-S-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus.
  2. 2
    The dried fruiting head of the fuller's teasel, Dipsacus sativa, used for teasing or carding cloth.
  3. 3
    Any contrivance intended as a substitute for teasels in dressing cloth.

Etymology

From Middle English tasel, tesel, from Old English tǣsel, tǣsl, from Proto-West Germanic *taisilu.

This word in other languages

cardère(Français)Karde(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "teasel"?
"teasel" is spelled T-E-A-S-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtiːzəl/.
What does "teasel" mean?
As a noun, "teasel" means: Any of several plants of the genus Dipsacus.
How do you pronounce "teasel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "teasel" is /ˈtiːzəl/. 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 "teasel"?
From Middle English tasel, tesel, from Old English tǣsel, tǣsl, from Proto-West Germanic *taisilu. 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 “teasel”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-A-S-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtiːzəl/ (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
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