Thomson

/ˈtɒm.sən/

//ˈtɒm.sən// name

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

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

The verdict

“Thomson” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,970. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,970
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A British surname transferred from the given name.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Thomson vs Towson
71% similar
Thomson vs Thompson
88% similar

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

Key facts for Thomson
PropertyValue
HeadwordThomson
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈtɒm.sən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,970
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Thomson” 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). Thomson 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 11 spelling variants around Thomson (IPA /ˈtɒm.sən/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #9,970 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Thomson, with forms such as "htomson", "thhomson", and "thmoson". 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, "Towson", "Thompson", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“MacTavish”). Also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". Many with the name MacTavish chang… The correct English form is Thomson, spelled T-H-O-M-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 place in the United States:
  4. 4
    A place in the United States:
  5. 5
    A place in the United States:
  6. 6
    A place in the United States:
  7. 7
    A neighbourhood of Singapore, named after Thomson Road, which was named after John Turnbull Thomson.
  8. 8
    A suburb of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, named after Alexander Thomson (pioneer).
  9. 9
    A locality in the Shire of Baw Baw, south eastern Victoria, Australia.

Etymology

From Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“MacTavish”). Also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". Many with the name MacTavish changed their name to Thomson and Thompson after Culloden. Being derived from Thomas ultimately gives this surname an Aramaic derivation - teoma 'twin'.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • htomson
  • thhomson
  • thmoson
  • thommson
  • thomosn
  • thomsno
  • thomsonn
  • thomsson
  • thosmon
  • tohmson
  • tthomson

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

htomson2thhomson1thmoson2thommson1thomosn2thomsno2thomsonn1thomsson1
Edit distance from "Thomson"

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 "Thomson"?
"Thomson" is spelled T-H-O-M-S-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɒm.sən/.
What does "Thomson" mean?
As a proper noun, "Thomson" means: A British surname transferred from the given name.
What words are commonly confused with "Thomson"?
"Thomson" is commonly confused with "Towson", "Thompson". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Thomson"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Thomson" is /ˈtɒm.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 "Thomson"?
From Tom + -son, originally meaning "son of Thomas". In some instances of people so named, a calque of Scottish Gaelic MacTamhais (“MacTavish”). Also an anglicisation of the Gaelic name MacTamhais, meaning "son of Thomas". Many with the name MacTa... 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 “Thomson”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-O-M-S-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɒm.sən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Towson” - see the side-by-side comparison. Thomson vs Towson
  • 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