threaten

/ˈθɹɛt.n̩/

//ˈθɹɛt.n̩// verb

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

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

The verdict

“threaten” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,861 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,861
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To make a threat against someone; to use threats.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

threaten vs treated
75% similar
threaten vs threats
75% similar
threaten vs throated
75% similar

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

Key facts for threaten
PropertyValue
Headwordthreaten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈθɹɛt.n̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,861
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “threaten” 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). threaten 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 threaten is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,861 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for threaten, with forms such as "htreaten", "theraten", and "thhreaten". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "treated", "threats", "throated", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English thretenen, from Old English þrēatnian (“to urge, force, compel”), equivalent to threat + -en. The correct English form is threaten, spelled T-H-R-E-A-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
  2. 2
    To menace, or be dangerous.
  3. 3
    To portend, or give a warning of.
  4. 4
    To call into question the validity of (a belief, idea, or viewpoint); to challenge.
  5. 5
    To be close to equaling or surpassing (a record, etc.); to challenge.

Etymology

From Middle English thretenen, from Old English þrēatnian (“to urge, force, compel”), equivalent to threat + -en.

This word in other languages

amenazar(Español)menacer(Français)drohen(Deutsch)ameaçar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: htreaten,theraten,thhreaten,thraeten,threaetn,threatenn,threatne,threatten,thretaen,thrreaten,trheaten,tthreaten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of threaten - 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.

htreaten2theraten2thhreaten1thraeten2threaetn2threatenn1threatne2threatten1
Edit distance from "threaten"

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 "threaten"?
"threaten" is spelled T-H-R-E-A-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/.
What does "threaten" mean?
As a verb, "threaten" means: To make a threat against someone; to use threats.
What words are commonly confused with "threaten"?
"threaten" is commonly confused with "treated", "threats", "throated". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "threaten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "threaten" is /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/. 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 "threaten"?
From Middle English thretenen, from Old English þrēatnian (“to urge, force, compel”), equivalent to threat + -en. 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 “threaten”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-H-R-E-A-T-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈθɹɛt.n̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “treated” - see the side-by-side comparison. threaten vs treated
  • 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