tenement
/ˈtɛnɪmənt/
"tenement" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“tenement” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,714 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #34,714
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | tenement |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɛnɪmənt/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #34,714 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “tenement” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for tenement is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɛnɪmənt/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,714 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for tenement, with forms such as "etnement", "teenment", and "teneemnt". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tenement, from Anglo-Norman tenement (“holding”), from Old French tenement, from Medieval Latin tenimentum, from Latin teneō (“hold”). The correct English form is tenement, spelled T-E-N-E-M-E-N-T.
Definition
- 1A building that is rented to multiple tenants, especially a low-rent, run-down one.
- 2Any form of property that is held by one person from another, rather than being owned.
- 3A dwelling; abode; habitation.
Etymology
From Middle English tenement, from Anglo-Norman tenement (“holding”), from Old French tenement, from Medieval Latin tenimentum, from Latin teneō (“hold”).
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: etnement,teenment,teneemnt,tenemennt,tenementt,tenemetn,tenemment,tenemnet,tenmeent,tennement,tneement,ttenement
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tenement - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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 "tenement"?
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Using “tenement”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-E-N-E-M-E-N-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɛnɪmənt/ (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.