Tempe

/tɛmˈpiː/

//tɛmˈpiː// name

"tempe" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Tempe” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,754. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,754
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tempe · Tempe · English

Tempe · rank #28,754 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,754
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH TEC

Nearest frequency peer: TEC (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Tempe”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Tempe” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Tempe vs time
40% similar
Tempe vs type
40% similar
Tempe vs tome
40% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Tempe
PropertyValue
HeadwordTempe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/tɛmˈpiː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#28,754
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Tempe”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Tempelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “TEC” (#28,753), “taunting” (#28,752), “terraced” (#28,756). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “Tempe” is #28,754. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around Tempe (IPA /tɛmˈpiː/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #28,754 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Tempe, with forms such as "etmpe", "temep", and "temmpe". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "time", "type", "tome", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named for the Vale of Tempe in northern Thessaly, Greece. The correct English form is Tempe, spelled T-E-M-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.
  2. 2
    A suburb in Inner West council area, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
  3. 3
    The Vale of Tempe; (by extension) a beautiful valley; any delightful rural spot.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Tempe appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The fire reached four alarms, which Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz said was a “very, very large event.”
  2. Farre vnworhie am I to ſpend the leaſt breath of commendation in the extolling ſo delightfull and pleaſant a Tempe, or once to conſecrate my inke with the excellent mention of the thrice noble and illuſtrious Chieftaine vnder whom it is flouriſhingly gouerned.

Etymology

Named for the Vale of Tempe in northern Thessaly, Greece.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etmpe
  • temep
  • temmpe
  • temppe
  • tepme
  • tmepe
  • ttempe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Tempe - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

etmpe2temep2temmpe1temppe1tepme2tmepe2ttempe1
Edit distance from "Tempe"

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 "Tempe"?
"Tempe" is spelled T-E-M-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /tɛmˈpiː/.
What does "Tempe" mean?
As a proper noun, "Tempe" means: A city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.
What words are commonly confused with "Tempe"?
"Tempe" is commonly confused with "time", "type", "tome". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Tempe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Tempe" is /tɛmˈpiː/. 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 "Tempe"?
Named for the Vale of Tempe in northern Thessaly, Greece. 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 "Tempe", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list