thirteen

/ˌθɜːˈtiːn/

//ˌθɜːˈtiːn// num

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

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

The verdict

“thirteen” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,494. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,494
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen: ten and three.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

thirteen vs thirties
75% similar
thirteen vs thirteenth
80% similar

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

Key facts for thirteen
PropertyValue
Headwordthirteen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNumeral
IPA/ˌθɜːˈtiːn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,494
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thirteen” 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). thirteen lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around thirteen (IPA /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/), anumeral. Corpus frequency is #8,494 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "The cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen: ten and three.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for thirteen, with forms such as "htirteen", "thhirteen", and "thireten". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "thirties", "thirteenth", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English thirttene, variant (through metathesis) of thrittene, from Old English þrēotīene, from Proto-Germanic *þritehun, compound of *þrīz (“three”) + *tehun (“teen”). Cognate with West Frisian trettjin, Dutch dertien, German dreizehn, Danish tr… The correct English form is thirteen, spelled T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    The cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen: ten and three.

Etymology

From Middle English thirttene, variant (through metathesis) of thrittene, from Old English þrēotīene, from Proto-Germanic *þritehun, compound of *þrīz (“three”) + *tehun (“teen”). Cognate with West Frisian trettjin, Dutch dertien, German dreizehn, Danish tretten. Equivalent to three + -teen.

This word in other languages

trece(Español)treize(Français)dreizehn(Deutsch)treze(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: htirteen,thhirteen,thireten,thirrteen,thirteenn,thirten,thirtene,thirtteen,thitreen,thriteen,tihrteen,tthirteen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of thirteen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

htirteen2thhirteen1thireten2thirrteen1thirteenn1thirten1thirtene2thirtteen1
Edit distance from "thirteen"

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 "thirteen"?
"thirteen" is spelled T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/.
What does "thirteen" mean?
As a numeral, "thirteen" means: The cardinal number occurring after twelve and before fourteen: ten and three.
What words are commonly confused with "thirteen"?
"thirteen" is commonly confused with "thirties", "thirteenth". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "thirteen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thirteen" is /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/. 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 "thirteen"?
From Middle English thirttene, variant (through metathesis) of thrittene, from Old English þrēotīene, from Proto-Germanic *þritehun, compound of *þrīz (“three”) + *tehun (“teen”). Cognate with West Frisian trettjin, Dutch dertien, German dreizehn,... 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 “thirteen”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-I-R-T-E-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “thirties” - see the side-by-side comparison. thirteen vs thirties
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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