tetrahydrocannabinol

/ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/

//ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl// noun

"tetrahydrocannabinol" is a 20-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tetrahydrocannabinol” is an uncommon English word, ranked #94,331 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#94,331
frequency rank, English
20
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The psychoactive substance present in cannabis, a hydrogenated derivative of cannabinol.

Key facts for tetrahydrocannabinol
PropertyValue
Headwordtetrahydrocannabinol
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/
Letters20
Frequency rank#94,331
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tetrahydrocannabinol” 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). tetrahydrocannabinol 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 tetrahydrocannabinol is 20 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/. Corpus data places it at rank #94,331 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The psychoactive substance present in cannabis, a hydrogenated derivative of cannabinol.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for tetrahydrocannabinol, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tetrahydro + cannabinol. The correct English form is tetrahydrocannabinol, spelled T-E-T-R-A-H-Y-D-R-O-C-A-N-N-A-B-I-N-O-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    The psychoactive substance present in cannabis, a hydrogenated derivative of cannabinol.

Etymology

From tetrahydro + cannabinol.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "tetrahydrocannabinol"?
"tetrahydrocannabinol" is spelled T-E-T-R-A-H-Y-D-R-O-C-A-N-N-A-B-I-N-O-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/.
What does "tetrahydrocannabinol" mean?
As a noun, "tetrahydrocannabinol" means: The psychoactive substance present in cannabis, a hydrogenated derivative of cannabinol.
How do you pronounce "tetrahydrocannabinol"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tetrahydrocannabinol" is /ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/. 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 "tetrahydrocannabinol"?
From tetrahydro + cannabinol. 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 “tetrahydrocannabinol”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-E-T-R-A-H-Y-D-R-O-C-A-N-N-A-B-I-N-O-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌtɛ.tɹəˌhʌɪ.dɹə(ʊ)ˈkæn.əb.ɪn.ɒl/ (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.

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

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