temple

/ˈtɛm.pl̩/

//ˈtɛm.pl̩// noun

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

"temple" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“temple” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,339 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,339
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A house of worship, especially:

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

temple vs tempo
67% similar
temple vs tempt
67% similar
temple vs triple
67% similar

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

Key facts for temple
PropertyValue
Headwordtemple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛm.pl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,339
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “temple” 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). temple lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for temple is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛm.pl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,339 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for temple, with forms such as "etmple", "temlpe", and "temmple". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "tempo", "tempt", "triple", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English temple, from Old English templ, tempel, borrowed from Latin templum (“shrine, temple, area for auspices”). Compare Old High German tempal (“temple”), also a borrowing from the Latin. The correct English form is temple, spelled T-E-M-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A house of worship, especially:
  2. 2
    A house of worship, especially:
  3. 3
    A house of worship, especially:
  4. 4
    A meeting house of the Oddfellows fraternity; its members.
  5. 5
    Any place regarded as holding a religious presence.
  6. 6
    Any place seen as an important centre for some activity.
  7. 7
    Anything regarded as important or minutely cared for.
  8. 8
    A gesture wherein the forefingers are outstretched and touch pad to pad while the other fingers are clasped together.

Etymology

From Middle English temple, from Old English templ, tempel, borrowed from Latin templum (“shrine, temple, area for auspices”). Compare Old High German tempal (“temple”), also a borrowing from the Latin.

Synonyms

house of worshipplace of worshipfanetempleshrine

This word in other languages

templo(Español)temple(Français)Tempel(Deutsch)templo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etmple,temlpe,temmple,tempel,templle,tempple,tepmle,tmeple,ttemple

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etmple2temlpe2temmple1tempel2templle1tempple1tepmle2tmeple2
Edit distance from "temple"

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 "temple"?
"temple" is spelled T-E-M-P-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛm.pl̩/.
What does "temple" mean?
As a noun, "temple" means: A house of worship, especially:
What words are commonly confused with "temple"?
"temple" is commonly confused with "tempo", "tempt", "triple". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "temple"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "temple" is /ˈtɛm.pl̩/. 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 "temple"?
From Middle English temple, from Old English templ, tempel, borrowed from Latin templum (“shrine, temple, area for auspices”). Compare Old High German tempal (“temple”), also a borrowing from the Latin. 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 “temple”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-M-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɛm.pl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tempo” - see the side-by-side comparison. temple vs tempo
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list