thoroughness

/ˈθʌɹənəs/

//ˈθʌɹənəs// noun

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

"thoroughness" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thoroughness” is an uncommon English word, ranked #55,802 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#55,802
frequency rank, English
12
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state of being thorough.

Key facts for thoroughness
PropertyValue
Headwordthoroughness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈθʌɹənəs/
Letters12
Frequency rank#55,802
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thoroughness” 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). thoroughness 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 thoroughness is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθʌɹənəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #55,802 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for thoroughness, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From thorough + -ness. The correct English form is thoroughness, spelled T-H-O-R-O-U-G-H-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state of being thorough.
  2. 2
    Attention to detail.

Etymology

From thorough + -ness.

This word in other languages

meticulosidad(Español)rigueur(Français)Gründlichkeit(Deutsch)rigor(Português)

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 "thoroughness"?
"thoroughness" is spelled T-H-O-R-O-U-G-H-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθʌɹənəs/.
What does "thoroughness" mean?
As a noun, "thoroughness" means: The state of being thorough.
How do you pronounce "thoroughness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thoroughness" is /ˈθʌɹənəs/. 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 "thoroughness"?
From thorough + -ness. 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 “thoroughness”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-O-R-O-U-G-H-N-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈθʌɹənəs/ (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