tether
/ˈtɛðəɹ/noun, verb, number
tether is spelled T-E-T-H-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, tether means “A rope, cable etc. that holds something in place whilst allowing some movement” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of tether is tethers.
How many letters and syllables are in tether?
| Letters | 6: T-E-T-H-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 30,418th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is tether?
Tether appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 30,418th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce tether?
- UK /ˈtɛðə/
- US /ˈtɛðəɹ/
Tether has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-tether.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with tether?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as tether from its last stressed vowel (/ɛðəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of tether
- tethers plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- tedder
- tethering participle, present
- tethered participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tether mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A rope, cable etc. that holds something in place whilst allowing some movement.
- 2
The limit of one's abilities, resources, patience, etc.
Since his hours have increased, I feel that he is at the end of his tether.
- 3
An attachment to a place, time, entity or person.
Despite moving, he maintained a strong tether to his culture back home.
- 4
A strong rope or line that connects a sailor's safety harness to the boat's jackstay.
verb
- 1
To restrict with, or as if with, a tether.
The cowboy tethered his horse outside the saloon.
- 2
To connect to something else.
- 3
To connect (a smartphone) to a personal computer in order to give the computer access to the phone's Internet connection.
number
- 1
Alternative form of tethera.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tether in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | longe , attacher |
| German | Strick, Haltegurt, Spannseil, Leine, Schnur, Schnürung |
| Portuguese | amarra, peia , amarrar , acoplar, conectar |
| Spanish | soga, dogal, ronzal, atadura, atadijo, atadero |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does tether come from?
From Middle English tether, teder, from Old English *tēoder and/or Old Norse tjóðr ( > Danish tøjr, Swedish tjuder); both from Proto-Germanic *teudrą (“rope; cord; shaft”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *dewtro-, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to tie”), or from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with North German Tüder (“tether for binding the cattle”), Swedish tjuder (“tether for binding cattle”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).