teletype

/ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/

//ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp// noun

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

"teletype" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“teletype” is uncommon English (frequency #71,971 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,971
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-teletype · teletype · English

teletype · rank #71,971 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #71,971
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH telemarketer

Nearest frequency peer: telemarketer (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “teletype”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “teletype” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for teletype
PropertyValue
Headwordteletype
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/
Letters8
Frequency rank#71,971
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “teletype” in English

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “telemarketer” (#71,970), “throaty” (#71,974), “thrombocytopenia” (#71,975). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “teletype” is #71,971. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

teletype is uncommon English at frequency #71,971 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

teletype has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tele- (“far, distant, telegraph”) + type (“text, typewriter”), q.v. In the United States, chiefly understood as a genericization of the Morkrum or Teletype Corporation's branded teletype machines. Doublet of telotype. The correct English form is teletype, spelled T-E-L-E-T-Y-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.
  2. 2
    A telegram produced by this device.
  3. 3
    An early input/output device for mainframe computers, resembling a typewriter.

Etymology

From tele- (“far, distant, telegraph”) + type (“text, typewriter”), q.v. In the United States, chiefly understood as a genericization of the Morkrum or Teletype Corporation's branded teletype machines. Doublet of telotype.

Synonyms

printgelahteleprinterteletyperteletypewritertelecryptographtelotypeoywxcdktelegramtelotypetelexTTY

This word in other languages

teletipo(Español)télétype(Français)Fernschreiber(Deutsch)

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 "teletype"?
"teletype" is spelled T-E-L-E-T-Y-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/.
What does "teletype" mean?
As a noun, "teletype" means: A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.
How do you pronounce "teletype"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "teletype" is /ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/. 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 "teletype"?
From tele- (“far, distant, telegraph”) + type (“text, typewriter”), q.v. In the United States, chiefly understood as a genericization of the Morkrum or Teletype Corporation's branded teletype machines. Doublet of telotype. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "teletype", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

talkback#71,958truncate#71,991sunbathe#71,948unpaired#72,005

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list