Theophilus

/θiːˈɒfɪləs/

//θiːˈɒfɪləs// name

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

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

The verdict

“Theophilus” is uncommon English (frequency #53,909 among 27,828 “T” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,909
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The addressee of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles.

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)

Where “Theophilus” 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). Theophilus lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Theophilus is uncommon English at frequency #53,909 among 27,828 “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.

Etymology

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

This word in other languages

Teófilo(Español)Théophile(Français)

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.

Using “Theophilus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-E-O-P-H-I-L-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /θiːˈɒfɪləs/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list