terrier

/ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)/

//ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)// noun

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

"terrier" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“terrier” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,382. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,382
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A dog from a group of small, lively breeds, originally bred for the hunting of burrowing prey such as rats, rabbits, foxes, and even otters; this original function is reflected in some of their nam...

Corpus desk

Index EN-terrier · terrier · English

terrier · rank #21,382 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,382
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tenderness

Nearest frequency peer: tenderness (-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 “terrier”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “terrier” 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).

terrier vs trier
71% similar
terrier vs terror
71% similar
terrier vs terrify
71% similar

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

Key facts for terrier
PropertyValue
Headwordterrier
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#21,382
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “terrier”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).terrierlands 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 “tenderness” (#21,381), “tester” (#21,383), “taping” (#21,380). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “terrier” is #21,382. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around terrier (IPA /ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,382 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for terrier, with forms such as "etrrier", "terier", and "terirer". 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. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "trier", "terror", "terrify", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French chien terrier (“terrier dog”), from chien (“dog”) + Old French terrier (“of earth”, adjective), from Medieval Latin terrarius (“of earth”), from Latin terra (“earth”). The correct English form is terrier, spelled T-E-R-R-I-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A dog from a group of small, lively breeds, originally bred for the hunting of burrowing prey such as rats, rabbits, foxes, and even otters; this original function is reflected in some of their names (e.g. rat terrier).
  2. 2
    Someone displaying terrier-like qualities such as determined pursuit.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. One of the LNER dispatch staff is a terrier when it comes to masks, challenging anyone without them.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French chien terrier (“terrier dog”), from chien (“dog”) + Old French terrier (“of earth”, adjective), from Medieval Latin terrarius (“of earth”), from Latin terra (“earth”).

This word in other languages

terrier(Français)Terrier(Deutsch)terrier(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • etrrier
  • terier
  • terirer
  • terreir
  • terrierr
  • terrire
  • trerier
  • tterrier

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of terrier - 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.

etrrier2terier1terirer2terreir2terrierr1terrire2trerier2tterrier1
Edit distance from "terrier"

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 "terrier"?
"terrier" is spelled T-E-R-R-I-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)/.
What does "terrier" mean?
As a noun, "terrier" means: A dog from a group of small, lively breeds, originally bred for the hunting of burrowing prey such as rats, rabbits, foxes, and even otters; this original function is reflected in some of their nam...
What words are commonly confused with "terrier"?
"terrier" is commonly confused with "trier", "terror", "terrify". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "terrier"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "terrier" is /ˈtɛɹiə(ɹ)/. 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 "terrier"?
Borrowed from Middle French, from Old French chien terrier (“terrier dog”), from chien (“dog”) + Old French terrier (“of earth”, adjective), from Medieval Latin terrarius (“of earth”), from Latin terra (“earth”). 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 "terrier", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

thistle#21,385tubular#21,392spectre#21,367shadowy#21,358

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

taping8 variantsunload8 variantsupkeep8 variantsViagra8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list