Telemachus

/təˈlɛməkəs/

//təˈlɛməkəs// name

"telemachus" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Telemachus” is uncommon English (frequency #81,892 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#81,892
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The son of Odysseus and Penelope.

Key facts for Telemachus
PropertyValue
HeadwordTelemachus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/təˈlɛməkəs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#81,892
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Telemachus” 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). Telemachus lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Telemachus is uncommon English at frequency #81,892 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /təˈlɛməkəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Telemachus, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin Telemachus, from Ancient Greek Τηλέμαχος (Tēlémakhos). The correct English form is Telemachus, spelled T-E-L-E-M-A-C-H-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The son of Odysseus and Penelope.
  2. 2
    Ellipsis of Saint Telemachus, a 4th century Christian martyr and saint.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin Telemachus, from Ancient Greek Τηλέμαχος (Tēlémakhos).

This word in other languages

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 "Telemachus"?
"Telemachus" is spelled T-E-L-E-M-A-C-H-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈlɛməkəs/.
What does "Telemachus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Telemachus" means: The son of Odysseus and Penelope.
How do you pronounce "Telemachus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Telemachus" is /təˈlɛməkəs/. 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 "Telemachus"?
Learned borrowing from Latin Telemachus, from Ancient Greek Τηλέμαχος (Tēlémakhos). 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 “Telemachus”

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

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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list