Theodore

/ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/

//ˈθiː.əˌdɔː// name

"theodore" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Theodore” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,805 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#11,805
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from Latin and Ancient Greek; the name of a saint, pope, several emperors, etc.

Key facts for Theodore
PropertyValue
HeadwordTheodore
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/
Letters8
Frequency rank#11,805
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Theodore” 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). Theodore 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 Theodore is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,805 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A male given name from Latin and Ancient Greek; the name of a saint, pope, several emperors, etc.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Theodore, with forms such as "hteodore", "tehodore", and "thedoore". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós Ancient Greek θεός (theós) Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *dóh₃r̥ Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-I… The correct English form is Theodore, spelled T-H-E-O-D-O-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Latin and Ancient Greek; the name of a saint, pope, several emperors, etc.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós Ancient Greek θεός (theós) Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *dóh₃r̥ Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *déh₃rom Proto-Hellenic *dṓron Ancient Greek δῶρον (dôron) Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros)bor. Latin Theodōruslbor. English Theodore Learned borrowing from Latin Theodōrus, borrowed from Ancient Greek Θεόδωρος (Theódōros), from θεός (theós, “god”) + δῶρον (dôron, “gift”). The name was popularized in reference to the prominent St Theodore of Amasea. Unrelated to Theodoric.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hteodore,tehodore,thedoore,theoddore,theodoer,theodorre,theodroe,theoodre,thheodore,thoedore,ttheodore

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hteodore2tehodore2thedoore2theoddore1theodoer2theodorre1theodroe2theoodre2
Edit distance from "Theodore"

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 "Theodore"?
"Theodore" is spelled T-H-E-O-D-O-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/.
What does "Theodore" mean?
As a proper noun, "Theodore" means: A male given name from Latin and Ancient Greek; the name of a saint, pope, several emperors, etc.
What are common misspellings of "Theodore"?
Common misspellings include "hteodore", "tehodore", "thedoore", "theoddore", "theodoer". The correct spelling is "Theodore".
How do you pronounce "Theodore"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Theodore" is /ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/. 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 "Theodore"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-s Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁s Proto-Hellenic *tʰehós Ancient Greek θεός (theós) Proto-Indo-European *deh₃- Proto-Indo-European *-r̥ Proto-Indo-European *dóh₃r̥ Proto-Indo-European *-... 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 “Theodore”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-E-O-D-O-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈθiː.əˌdɔː/ (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
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