threshold

/ˈθɹeʃəʊld/

//ˈθɹeʃəʊld// noun

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

"threshold" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“threshold” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,845. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,845
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The lowermost part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.

Corpus desk

Index EN-threshold · threshold · English

threshold · rank #6,845 · 15 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,845
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH thereby

Nearest frequency peer: thereby (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “threshold”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “threshold” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

threshold vs threefold
78% similar

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

Key facts for threshold
PropertyValue
Headwordthreshold
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈθɹeʃəʊld/
Letters9
Frequency rank#6,845
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “threshold”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).thresholdlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “thereby” (#6,844), “tin” (#6,847), “supplement” (#6,842). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “threshold” is #6,845. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around threshold (IPA /ˈθɹeʃəʊld/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,845 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for threshold, with forms such as "htreshold", "thershold", and "thhreshold". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "threefold", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þresċold, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic *þreskudlaz, *þreskūþlijaz, *þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic *þreskaną, *þreskwaną (“to thresh, (originally) to tread”),… The correct English form is threshold, spelled T-H-R-E-S-H-O-L-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The lowermost part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.
  2. 2
    An entrance; the door or gate of a house.
  3. 3
    Any end or boundary.
  4. 4
    The outset of something; the point of entry, or the beginning of an action.
  5. 5
    The start of the landing area of a runway.
  6. 6
    The quantitative point at which an action is triggered, especially a lower limit.
  7. 7
    The wage or salary at which income tax becomes due.
  8. 8
    The point where one is mentally or physically vulnerable in response to a provocation or to other nuisances.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how threshold appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Shy. You that did voide your rume vpon my beard, / And foote me as you ſpurne a ſtranger curre / Ouer your threſhold, […]
  2. I arrived at last, did obeisance to my uncle, and told him everything. He thought it over and said: ' […] At the threshold of death, how dare I give you permission to go to England, to cross the seas? But I will not stand in your way. It is your mother's permission which really matters. If she permit you, then godspeed! Tell her I will not interfere. You…

Etymology

From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þresċold, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic *þreskudlaz, *þreskūþlijaz, *þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic *þreskaną, *þreskwaną (“to thresh, (originally) to tread”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, turn”). Cognate with Low German Drüssel (“threshold”), dialectal German Drischaufel, Drissufle, Trüschübel (“threshold”), Danish tærskel (“threshold”), Norwegian terskel (“threshold”), Swedish tröskel (“threshold”), dialectal Swedish träskvald (“threshold”), Icelandic þröskuldur (“threshold”). Pronunciations such as “thresh-hold” are un-etymological and result from analogy with hold.

Antonyms

lintel

This word in other languages

umbral(Español)seuil(Français)Schwelle(Deutsch)soleira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • htreshold
  • thershold
  • thhreshold
  • threhsold
  • threshhold
  • threshlod
  • threshodl
  • thresholdd
  • thresholld
  • thresohld
  • thresshold
  • thrreshold
  • thrsehold
  • trheshold
  • tthreshold

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

htreshold2thershold2thhreshold1threhsold2threshhold1threshlod2threshodl2thresholdd1
Edit distance from "threshold"

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 "threshold"?
"threshold" is spelled T-H-R-E-S-H-O-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɹeʃəʊld/.
What does "threshold" mean?
As a noun, "threshold" means: The lowermost part of a doorway that one crosses to enter; a sill.
What words are commonly confused with "threshold"?
"threshold" is commonly confused with "threefold". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "threshold"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "threshold" is /ˈθɹeʃəʊld/. 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 "threshold"?
From Middle English threschwolde, threscholde, from Old English þresċold, þerxold, þrexwold (“doorsill, entryway”), from Proto-Germanic *þreskudlaz, *þreskūþlijaz, *þreskwaþluz, from Proto-Germanic *þreskaną, *þreskwaną (“to thresh, (originally) t... 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 "threshold", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

sentiment#6,835aesthetic#6,859algorithm#6,860remainder#6,830

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

reasonably15 variantsassociations15 variantsnavigation15 variantsmechanisms15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list