thorn apple

noun

"thorn-apple" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thorn apple” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:

Key facts for thorn apple
PropertyValue
Headwordthorn apple
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thorn apple” sits in English frequency

thorn apple falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

thorn apple is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

thorn apple has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Cognate with Dutch doornappel and French pomme épineuse. The correct English form is thorn apple, spelled T-H-O-R-N- -A-P-P-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:
  2. 2
    Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:
  3. 3
    Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:
  4. 4
    Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:

Etymology

Cognate with Dutch doornappel and French pomme épineuse.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "thorn apple"?
"thorn apple" is spelled T-H-O-R-N- -A-P-P-L-E.
What does "thorn apple" mean?
As a noun, "thorn apple" means: Any of several species of plants bearing thorns and apple-like fruit:
What is the origin of the word "thorn apple"?
Cognate with Dutch doornappel and French pomme épineuse. 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 “thorn apple”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-O-R-N- -A-P-P-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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