threepenny

/ˈθɹʌpəni/

//ˈθɹʌpəni// adj

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

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

The verdict

“threepenny” is uncommon English (frequency #92,153 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#92,153
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Having a value or cost of threepence.

Corpus desk

Index EN-threepenny · threepenny · English

threepenny · rank #92,153 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #92,153
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Thornley

Nearest frequency peer: Thornley (-2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “threepenny”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “threepenny” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for threepenny
PropertyValue
Headwordthreepenny
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈθɹʌpəni/
Letters10
Frequency rank#92,153
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “threepenny” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).threepennyfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Thornley” (#92,151), “Thorney” (#92,150), “tinderbox” (#92,158). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “threepenny” is #92,153. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

threepenny is uncommon English at frequency #92,153 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈθɹʌpəni/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

threepenny has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From three + penny. The correct English form is threepenny, spelled T-H-R-E-E-P-E-N-N-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Having a value or cost of threepence.
  2. 2
    Of little worth; mean; vulgar.

Etymology

From three + penny.

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 "threepenny"?
"threepenny" is spelled T-H-R-E-E-P-E-N-N-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɹʌpəni/.
What does "threepenny" mean?
As an adjective, "threepenny" means: Having a value or cost of threepence.
How do you pronounce "threepenny"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "threepenny" is /ˈθɹʌpəni/. 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 "threepenny"?
From three + penny. 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 "threepenny", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

transmedia#92,174supertramp#92,122stridently#92,113unicameral#92,193

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list