them

/ˈðɛm/

//ˈðɛm// pron

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

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

The verdict

“them” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #71 in English word frequency and used as a pronoun.

#71
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Those ones.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

them vs TM
0% similar
them vs tom
50% similar
them vs tie
50% similar

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

Key facts for them
PropertyValue
Headwordthem
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPronoun
IPA/ˈðɛm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#71
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “them” 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). them 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 them is 4 letters long, classified as a pronoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈðɛm/. Corpus data places it at rank #71 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 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 them, with forms such as "htem", "tehm", and "themm". 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, "TM", "tom", "tie", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Old Norse þeimbor. Middle English þem English them From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim. The correct English form is them, spelled T-H-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Those ones.
  2. 2
    Those ones.
  3. 3
    Those ones.
  4. 4
    Those ones.
  5. 5
    Those ones.
  6. 6
    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary.
  7. 7
    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary.
  8. 8
    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary.
  9. 9
    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary.
  10. 10
    A single person, previously mentioned, whose gender is unknown, irrelevant, or (since 21st c.) non-binary.
  11. 11
    They or those.

Etymology

Etymology tree Old Norse þeimbor. Middle English þem English them From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim.

Synonyms

demem'emhem

This word in other languages

los(Español)les(Français)ihnen(Deutsch)os(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: htem,tehm,themm,thhem,thme,tthem

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of them - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

htem2tehm2themm1thhem1thme2tthem1
Edit distance from "them"

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 "them"?
"them" is spelled T-H-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈðɛm/.
What does "them" mean?
As a pronoun, "them" means: Those ones.
What words are commonly confused with "them"?
"them" is commonly confused with "TM", "tom", "tie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "them"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "them" is /ˈðɛm/. 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 "them"?
Etymology tree Old Norse þeimbor. Middle English þem English them From Middle English þem, from Old Norse þeim. 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 “them”

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

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