Thompson

/ˈtɒmp.sən/

//ˈtɒmp.sən// name

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

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

The verdict

“Thompson” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,497. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,497
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A British surname transferred from the given name.

Corpus desk

Index EN-thompson · Thompson · English

Thompson · rank #4,497 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,497
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tap

Nearest frequency peer: tap (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “Thompson”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “Thompson” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Thompson vs Thomson
88% similar

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

Key facts for Thompson
PropertyValue
HeadwordThompson
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈtɒmp.sən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,497
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “Thompson”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).Thompsonlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “tap” (#4,496), “threats” (#4,498), “surprising” (#4,495). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “Thompson” is #4,497. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around Thompson (IPA /ˈtɒmp.sən/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #4,497 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 19 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for Thompson, with forms such as "htompson", "thhompson", and "thmopson". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Thomson", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Variant of Thomson, from Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“McTavish”); also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". The correct English form is Thompson, spelled T-H-O-M-P-S-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A British surname transferred from the given name.
  2. 2
    A British surname transferred from the given name.
  3. 3
    A placename:
  4. 4
    A placename:
  5. 5
    A placename:
  6. 6
    A placename:
  7. 7
    A placename:
  8. 8
    A placename:
  9. 9
    A placename:
  10. 10
    A placename:
  11. 11
    A placename:
  12. 12
    A placename:
  13. 13
    A placename:
  14. 14
    A placename:
  15. 15
    A placename:
  16. 16
    A placename:
  17. 17
    A placename:
  18. 18
    A placename:
  19. 19
    An Interior Salish language spoken in British Columbia and formerly in Washington.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Police believe Mangione had been traveling around Pennsylvania in the days after Thompson was killed, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh to Altoona, where he was recognized earlier Monday at a McDonald's restaurant.

Etymology

Variant of Thomson, from Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“McTavish”); also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas".

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • htompson
  • thhompson
  • thmopson
  • thommpson
  • thomposn
  • thomppson
  • thompsno
  • thompsonn
  • thompsson
  • thomspon
  • thopmson
  • tohmpson
  • tthompson

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Thompson - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

htompson2thhompson1thmopson2thommpson1thomposn2thomppson1thompsno2thompsonn1
Edit distance from "Thompson"

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 "Thompson"?
"Thompson" is spelled T-H-O-M-P-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɒmp.sən/.
What does "Thompson" mean?
As a proper noun, "Thompson" means: A British surname transferred from the given name.
What words are commonly confused with "Thompson"?
"Thompson" is commonly confused with "Thomson". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Thompson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Thompson" is /ˈtɒmp.sən/. 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 "Thompson"?
Variant of Thomson, from Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“McTavish”); also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". 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 "Thompson", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stranger#4,493churches#4,510requests#4,483composed#4,513

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

volunteer13 variantssatisfied13 variantspublicly13 variantsprinting13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list