-th

Name: -th, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/-θ/

//-θ// suffix

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“-th” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a suffix. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English: 3
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Used to form nouns from verbs of action.

Corpus desk

Index EN-th · -th · English

-th · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
LEN-MID 3 letters
VOW-0 0 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-0 0 variants
BOOK-THIN "-" thin
PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for -th
Property	Value
Headword	-th
Language	English
Part of speech	Suffix
IPA	/-θ/
Letters	3
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “-th” sits in English frequency

-th falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

-th is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as asuffix, transcribed /-θ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for -th in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te,… The correct English form is -th, spelled --T-H.

Definition

1
Used to form nouns from verbs of action.
2
Used to form nouns of quality from adjectives.

Etymology

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te, Low German -de, Danish -de, Swedish -d, Icelandic -ð, -d, Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa), Latin -itās (“-ty, -ity”). See -ity, -t.

Synonyms

-ing -ation -ness -ity -cy -itude

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "-th"?

"-th" is spelled --T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /-θ/.

What does "-th" mean?

As a suffix, "-th" means: Used to form nouns from verbs of action.

How do you pronounce "-th"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "-th" is /-θ/. 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 "-th"?

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, ... See the full etymology section above for more details.

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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.

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.