text

/tɛkst/

//tɛkst// noun

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

"text" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“text” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,062 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,062
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

text vs TX
0% similar
text vs TT
0% similar
text vs tit
50% similar

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

Key facts for text
PropertyValue
Headwordtext
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɛkst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,062
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “text” 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). text 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 text is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɛkst/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,062 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for text, with forms such as "etxt", "tetx", and "textt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TX", "TT", "tit", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English text, from Old French texte (“text”), from Medieval Latin textus (“the Scriptures, text, treatise”), from Latin textus (“style or texture of a work”), perfect passive participle of texō (“to weave”). Cognate to English texture. The correct English form is text, spelled T-E-X-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.
  2. 2
    A book, tome or other set of writings.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of text message, a brief written message transmitted between mobile phones.
  4. 4
    Data which can be interpreted as human-readable text.
  5. 5
    A verse or passage of Scripture, especially one chosen as the subject of a sermon, or in proof of a doctrine.
  6. 6
    Anything chosen as the subject of an argument, literary composition, etc.
  7. 7
    A style of writing in large characters; also, a kind of type used in printing.

Etymology

From Middle English text, from Old French texte (“text”), from Medieval Latin textus (“the Scriptures, text, treatise”), from Latin textus (“style or texture of a work”), perfect passive participle of texō (“to weave”). Cognate to English texture.

This word in other languages

texto(Español)texte(Français)Text(Deutsch)texto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: etxt,tetx,textt,texxt,ttext,txet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

etxt2tetx2textt1texxt1ttext1txet2
Edit distance from "text"

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 "text"?
"text" is spelled T-E-X-T. The IPA pronunciation is /tɛkst/.
What does "text" mean?
As a noun, "text" means: A writing consisting of multiple glyphs, characters, symbols or sentences.
What words are commonly confused with "text"?
"text" is commonly confused with "TX", "TT", "tit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "text"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "text" is /tɛkst/. 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 "text"?
From Middle English text, from Old French texte (“text”), from Medieval Latin textus (“the Scriptures, text, treatise”), from Latin textus (“style or texture of a work”), perfect passive participle of texō (“to weave”). Cognate to English texture. 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 “text”

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

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