that
/ðæt/conjunction, determiner, pronoun, adverb, noun
that is spelled T-H-A-T. The wrong spelling people search most is thta: about 50 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 115 of all searches for the word. That is a conjunction meaning “Introducing a clause that is the object of a verb, especially a reporting verb or verb expressing belief…”.
How many letters and syllables are in that?
| Letters | 4: T-H-A-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 10,233 times per million words; the 9th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 5; the most searched, thta, about 50 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
| Pairs people search |
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); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How do you spell that?
That is spelled T-H-A-T. 5 wrong spellings are searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 53 of the searches for that in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is that?
That appears 10,233 times per million words in written English, the 9th 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 that?
- /ðət/
- /ðæt/
- [ˈðat]
That has one syllable (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-that.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Back_ache-that.wav, En-us-that.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with that
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Also written: dat, this and that and the other, this, that, and the other thing, this, that, or the other.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of that
- 'at
- 't
- dat
- thet
- those plural
- thats plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does that mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
conjunction
- 1
Introducing a clause that is the object of a verb, especially a reporting verb or verb expressing belief, knowledge, perception, etc.
He told me that the book is a good read.
- 2
As delayed subject.
It is almost certain that she will come.
- 3
As direct subject.
That she will come is almost certain.
- 4
Introducing the complement of a mandative verb.
I insist that you come.
- 5
Introducing a clause that complements an adjective or passive participle.
I'm sure that you are right.
- 6
Expressing a reason or cause: because, in that.
Be glad that you have enough to eat.
- 7
Introducing a subordinate clause modifying an adverb.
Was John there? – Not that I saw.
- 8
Introducing a clause that describes the information content of a preceding reporting noun.
I heard a rumour that they got married.
determiner
- 1
The (thing, person, idea, etc) indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote physically, temporally or mentally than one designated as “this”, or if expressing distinction.
That book is a good read. This one isn't.
pronoun
- 1
The thing, person, idea, quality, event, action, or time indicated or understood from context, especially if more remote geographically, temporally or mentally than one designated as “this”, or if expressing distinction.
That's my car over there.
- 2
Used to refer to a noun phrase or statement just made.
They're getting divorced. What do you think about that?
- 3
Used to emphatically affirm or deny a previous statement or question.
The water is so cold! – That it is.
- 4
In a relative clause, referring to a previously mentioned noun, as subject, direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition; which, who.
I didn't see the car that hit me.
- 5
colloquialUsed in place of relative adverbs such as where or when; often omitted.
the place that [= where or to which] I went last year
adverb
- 1
Denoting an equal degree.
Here's the measurement – the ribbon must be that long, no longer and no shorter.
- 2
Denoting ‘as much’, ‘no less’.
She said we waited for three hours, but I'm sure it wasn't that long.
- 3
To a great extent or degree; very, particularly.
I was seen quite quickly – I didn't have to wait that long.
- 4
AustraliaUKinformalTo such an extent; so.
Ooh, I was that happy I nearly kissed her.
noun
- 1
Something being indicated that is there; one of those.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate that?
Wiktionary records 2 abbreviations of that: tht, yt.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
That in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | que , pour que , ce, cet, cette , ça |
| German | dass , sodass, damit , jener, jene, jenes |
| Portuguese | que , para que , esse, essa, isso, aquele |
| Spanish | que , para que , ese, aquese, esa, aquesa |
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 that come from?
From Middle English that, from Old English þæt (“the, that”, neuter definite article and relative pronoun), from Proto-West Germanic *þat, from Proto-Germanic *þat. Cognate to Scots that, Saterland Frisian dät, West Frisian dat, Dutch dat, Low German dat and datt, German dass and das, Danish det, Swedish det, Icelandic það, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐍄𐌰 (þata).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).