thrift

/θɹɪft/

//θɹɪft// noun

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

"thrift" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“thrift” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,260 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,260
frequency rank, English
6
letters
10
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The characteristic of using a minimum of something (especially money).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

thrift vs throat
67% similar
thrift vs thrust
67% similar
thrift vs thrive
67% similar

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

Key facts for thrift
PropertyValue
Headwordthrift
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/θɹɪft/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,260
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “thrift” 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). thrift 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 thrift is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /θɹɪft/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,260 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for thrift, with forms such as "htrift", "thhrift", and "thirft". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "throat", "thrust", "thrive", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English thrift, thryfte, þrift, from Old Norse þrift (“thriving condition, prosperity”). Equivalent to thrive + -t. The correct English form is thrift, spelled T-H-R-I-F-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The characteristic of using a minimum of something (especially money).
  2. 2
    A savings bank.
  3. 3
    Any of various plants of the genus Armeria, particularly Armeria maritima.
  4. 4
    Success and advance in the acquisition of property; increase of worldly goods; gain; prosperity; profit.
  5. 5
    Vigorous growth, as of a plant.

Etymology

From Middle English thrift, thryfte, þrift, from Old Norse þrift (“thriving condition, prosperity”). Equivalent to thrive + -t.

Synonyms

frugality

Antonyms

spendthrift

This word in other languages

parsimonia(Español)parcimonie(Français)Sparsamkeit(Deutsch)frugalidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: htrift,thhrift,thirft,thrfit,thrifft,thriftt,thritf,thrrift,trhift,tthrift

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

htrift2thhrift1thirft2thrfit2thrifft1thriftt1thritf2thrrift1
Edit distance from "thrift"

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 "thrift"?
"thrift" is spelled T-H-R-I-F-T. The IPA pronunciation is /θɹɪft/.
What does "thrift" mean?
As a noun, "thrift" means: The characteristic of using a minimum of something (especially money).
What words are commonly confused with "thrift"?
"thrift" is commonly confused with "throat", "thrust", "thrive". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "thrift"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "thrift" is /θɹɪft/. 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 "thrift"?
From Middle English thrift, thryfte, þrift, from Old Norse þrift (“thriving condition, prosperity”). Equivalent to thrive + -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.

Using “thrift”

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

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