thicken

/ˈθɪkən/

//ˈθɪkən// verb

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

"thicken" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thicken” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #41,424 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#41,424
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make thicker (in the sense of wider).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

thicken vs ticket
71% similar
thicken vs ticker
71% similar
thicken vs thinker
71% similar

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

Key facts for thicken
PropertyValue
Headwordthicken
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈθɪkən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#41,424
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thicken” 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). thicken 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 thicken is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθɪkən/. Corpus data places it at rank #41,424 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for thicken, with forms such as "hticken", "thciken", and "thhicken". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "ticket", "ticker", "thinker", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”). The correct English form is thicken, spelled T-H-I-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make thicker (in the sense of wider).
  2. 2
    To make thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
  3. 3
    To become thicker (in the sense of wider).
  4. 4
    To become thicker (in the sense of more viscous).
  5. 5
    To strengthen; to confirm.
  6. 6
    To make more frequent.
  7. 7
    To make more detailed or comprehensive.

Etymology

From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”).

Synonyms

broadenenwidenwidencondenseengrossinspissatewideninspissatebuild upreinforcestrengthenincrassatereducethickthicken

Antonyms

dilutethinwater down

This word in other languages

engrosar(Español)épaissir(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hticken,thciken,thhicken,thiccken,thicekn,thickenn,thickken,thickne,thikcen,tihcken,tthicken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hticken2thciken2thhicken1thiccken1thicekn2thickenn1thickken1thickne2
Edit distance from "thicken"

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 "thicken"?
"thicken" is spelled T-H-I-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɪkən/.
What does "thicken" mean?
As a verb, "thicken" means: To make thicker (in the sense of wider).
What words are commonly confused with "thicken"?
"thicken" is commonly confused with "ticket", "ticker", "thinker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "thicken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thicken" is /ˈθɪkən/. 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 "thicken"?
From Middle English thickenen, thikkenen, perhaps from Old Norse þykkna (“to thicken”); equivalent to thick + -en. Cognate with Swedish tjockna (“to thicken”), Icelandic þykkna (“to thicken”). 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 “thicken”

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

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