throb

/θɹɒb/

//θɹɒb// verb

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

"throb" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“throb” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,948. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,948
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To pound or beat rapidly or violently.

Corpus desk

Index EN-throb · throb · English

throb · rank #42,948 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,948
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH thermally

Nearest frequency peer: thermally (-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 “throb”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “throb” 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).

throb vs Troy
40% similar
throb vs thru
60% similar
throb vs toro
60% similar

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

Key facts for throb
PropertyValue
Headwordthrob
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/θɹɒb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#42,948
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “throb”

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).throblands 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 “thermally” (#42,947), “THT” (#42,949), “theatrics” (#42,945). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “throb” is #42,948. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around throb (IPA /θɹɒb/), averb. Corpus frequency is #42,948 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for throb, with forms such as "htrob", "thhrob", and "thorb". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Troy", "thru", "toro", and more, 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 throbben; possibly of imitative origin. The correct English form is throb, spelled T-H-R-O-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pound or beat rapidly or violently.
  2. 2
    To pulse (often painfully) in time with the circulation of blood.
  3. 3
    To exhibit an attitude, trait, or affect powerfully and profoundly.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Her heart began to throb faster as the moment approached.
  2. I have a throbbing headache.

Etymology

From Middle English throbben; possibly of imitative origin.

This word in other languages

palpitar(Español)battre(Français)klopfen(Deutsch)latejar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • htrob
  • thhrob
  • thorb
  • thrbo
  • throbb
  • thrrob
  • trhob
  • tthrob

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

htrob2thhrob1thorb2thrbo2throbb1thrrob1trhob2tthrob1
Edit distance from "throb"

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 "throb"?
"throb" is spelled T-H-R-O-B. The IPA pronunciation is /θɹɒb/.
What does "throb" mean?
As a verb, "throb" means: To pound or beat rapidly or violently.
What words are commonly confused with "throb"?
"throb" is commonly confused with "Troy", "thru", "toro". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "throb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "throb" is /θɹɒb/. 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 "throb"?
From Middle English throbben; possibly of imitative origin. 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 "throb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Timon#42,951Thais#42,943Tyrol#42,968squaw#42,917

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Taoist8 variantsvoyeur8 variantsskank8 variantssiting8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list