teletype
/ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/
"teletype" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“teletype” is uncommon English (frequency #71,971 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #71,971
- frequency rank, English
- 27,828
- “T” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | teletype |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #71,971 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “teletype” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
teletype is uncommon English at frequency #71,971 among 27,828 “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
- 1A telegraph that automatically prints transmitted messages in letters rather than Morse code or other symbols, typically resembling a typewriter in appearance.
- 2A telegram produced by this device.
- 3An 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.
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
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Using “teletype”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-E-L-E-T-Y-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɛlɪˌtaɪp/ (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.