Theophilus

/θiːˈɒfɪləs/

//θiːˈɒfɪləs// name

"theophilus" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Theophilus” is uncommon English (frequency #53,909 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,909
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The addressee of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-theophilus · Theophilus · English

Theophilus · rank #53,909 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,909
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tempura

Nearest frequency peer: tempura (-2 rank slots)

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.

Long-tail ranks near “Theophilus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Theophilus” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Theophilus
PropertyValue
HeadwordTheophilus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/θiːˈɒfɪləs/
Letters10
Frequency rank#53,909
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Theophilus” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Theophilusfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “tempura” (#53,907), “timbered” (#53,911), “tempestuous” (#53,906). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “Theophilus” is #53,909. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Theophilus is uncommon English at frequency #53,909 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /θiːˈɒfɪləs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for Theophilus, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Ancient Greek Θεόφιλος (Theóphilos), meaning "love of God" or "friend of God". The correct English form is Theophilus, spelled T-H-E-O-P-H-I-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The addressee of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
  2. 2
    A male given name from Ancient Greek; rare in English.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Theophilus appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus.
  2. 'That's a good one, that is!' said Ern. 'Lovaduck, I'd like to see Uncle Theophilus when I tell him that!'

Etymology

Ancient Greek Θεόφιλος (Theóphilos), meaning "love of God" or "friend of God".

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

How do you spell "Theophilus"?
"Theophilus" is spelled T-H-E-O-P-H-I-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /θiːˈɒfɪləs/.
What does "Theophilus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Theophilus" means: The addressee of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.
How do you pronounce "Theophilus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Theophilus" is /θiːˈɒfɪləs/. 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 "Theophilus"?
Ancient Greek Θεόφιλος (Theóphilos), meaning "love of God" or "friend of God". 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Theophilus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list