thimble

/ˈθɪmb(ə)l/

//ˈθɪmb(ə)l// noun

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

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

The verdict

“thimble” is an uncommon English word, ranked #51,446 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#51,446
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A pitted, now usually metal, cup-shaped cap worn on the tip of a finger, which is used in sewing to push the needle through material.

Key facts for thimble
PropertyValue
Headwordthimble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈθɪmb(ə)l/
Letters7
Frequency rank#51,446
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thimble” 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). thimble 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 thimble is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθɪmb(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #51,446 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for thimble in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Middle English thymbyll, thimel (“thimble”) [and other forms], from Old English þȳmel (“thimble, thumbstall; fingerstall”), then either: * from Old English þūma (“thumb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”)) + … The correct English form is thimble, spelled T-H-I-M-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A pitted, now usually metal, cup-shaped cap worn on the tip of a finger, which is used in sewing to push the needle through material.
  2. 2
    As much as fills a thimble (sense 1); a thimbleful.
  3. 3
    An object which resembles a thimble (sense 1) in shape or size.
  4. 4
    An object which resembles a thimble (sense 1) in shape or size.
  5. 5
    A metal ring which a cable or rope intended for attaching to other things is looped around as a protection against chafing.
  6. 6
    A ring- or tube-shaped component such as a ferrule.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Middle English thymbyll, thimel (“thimble”) [and other forms], from Old English þȳmel (“thimble, thumbstall; fingerstall”), then either: * from Old English þūma (“thumb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”)) + -el (suffix forming agent nouns and the names of instruments); or * from Proto-Germanic *þūmilaz (“thumb-covering, thumb-sheath”), from *þūmô (“thumb”) (ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root mentioned above) + *-ilaz (suffix forming agent nouns). The English word is analysable as thumb + -le (suffix forming agent nouns), and is cognate with Dutch duimeling (“thumbstall”), German Däumling (“thumbstall”), German Low German Dümelke (“thumbstall”), Saterland Frisian Düümelke (“thumbstall”), Scots thummle, thumble (“thimble”). The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

dedal(Español)dé(Français)Fingerhut(Deutsch)

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 "thimble"?
"thimble" is spelled T-H-I-M-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɪmb(ə)l/.
What does "thimble" mean?
As a noun, "thimble" means: A pitted, now usually metal, cup-shaped cap worn on the tip of a finger, which is used in sewing to push the needle through material.
How do you pronounce "thimble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thimble" is /ˈθɪmb(ə)l/. 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 "thimble"?
The noun is derived from Middle English thymbyll, thimel (“thimble”) [and other forms], from Old English þȳmel (“thimble, thumbstall; fingerstall”), then either: * from Old English þūma (“thumb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to s... 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 “thimble”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-I-M-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈθɪmb(ə)l/ (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