thalamus
/ˈθæləməs/
"thalamus" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“thalamus” is uncommon English (frequency #57,122 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #57,122
- frequency rank, English
- 27,828
- “T” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Either of two large, ovoid structures of grey matter within the forebrain that relay sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | thalamus |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈθæləməs/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #57,122 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “thalamus” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
thalamus is uncommon English at frequency #57,122 among 27,828 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈθæləməs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for thalamus, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin thalamus, from Ancient Greek θάλαμος (thálamos, “an inner chamber, a bedroom, a bed”). The correct English form is thalamus, spelled T-H-A-L-A-M-U-S.
Definition
- 1Either of two large, ovoid structures of grey matter within the forebrain that relay sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex.
- 2The receptacle of a flower; a torus.
- 3A thallus.
- 4An inner room or nuptial chamber.
Etymology
From Latin thalamus, from Ancient Greek θάλαμος (thálamos, “an inner chamber, a bedroom, a bed”).
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
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Using “thalamus”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-H-A-L-A-M-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈθæləməs/ (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
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.