telltale
/ˈtɛlteɪl/
"telltale" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“telltale” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,047 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #33,047
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | telltale |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɛlteɪl/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #33,047 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “telltale” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for telltale is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛlteɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,047 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for telltale, with forms such as "etlltale", "tellatle", and "telltael". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”). The correct English form is telltale, spelled T-E-L-L-T-A-L-E.
Definition
- 1One who divulges private information with intent to hurt others.
- 2An indicator, such as a warning light, that serves to warn of a hazard or problem.
- 3Something that serves to reveal something else.
- 4A movable piece of ivory, lead, or other material, connected to the bellows of an organ, whose position indicates when the wind is exhausted.
- 5A length of yarn or ribbon attached to a sail or shroud etc to indicate the direction of the flow of the air relative to the boat.
- 6A mechanical attachment to the steering wheel, which, in the absence of a tiller, shows the position of the helm.
- 7A compass in the cabin of a vessel, usually placed where the captain can see it at all hours, and thus inform himself of the vessel's course.
- 8A machine or contrivance for indicating or recording something, particularly for keeping a check upon employees (factory hands, watchmen, drivers, etc.) by revealing to their employers what they have done or omitted.
- 9A bird, the tattler.
- 10A story or fable that has a moral or message.
Etymology
From tell + tale, perhaps dissimilated from earlier taleteller, from Middle English tale tellere (literally “tale teller”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: etlltale,tellatle,telltael,telltalle,telltlae,tellttale,teltale,teltlale,tleltale,ttelltale
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of telltale - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "telltale"?
What does "telltale" mean?
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Using “telltale”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-E-L-L-T-A-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɛlteɪl/ (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.