throttle

/ˈθɹɒt.l̩/

//ˈθɹɒt.l̩// noun

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

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

The verdict

“throttle” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,718. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,718
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-throttle · throttle · English

throttle · rank #15,718 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,718
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH thatcher

Nearest frequency peer: thatcher (-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 “throttle”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “throttle” 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
Key facts for throttle
PropertyValue
Headwordthrottle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈθɹɒt.l̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,718
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “throttle”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).throttlelands 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 “thatcher” (#15,717), “tides” (#15,719), “teaser” (#15,716). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “throttle” is #15,718. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around throttle (IPA /ˈθɹɒt.l̩/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,718 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for throttle, with forms such as "htrottle", "thhrottle", and "thorttle". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat. The correct English form is throttle, spelled T-H-R-O-T-T-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
  2. 2
    The lever or pedal that controls this valve.
  3. 3
    The windpipe or trachea.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. To my unpractised eye, the undulations in the track were quite imperceptible, but the engineer's hand on the throttle was never still.
  2. Then up got Peg, and round the house gan scuttle, / In search of goods her customer to nail, / Until the Sultaun strain'd his princely throttle, / And hollow'd,—"Ma'am, that is not what I ail.["]

Etymology

From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat.

This word in other languages

acelerador(Español)accélérateur(Français)Drossel(Deutsch)acelerador(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • htrottle
  • thhrottle
  • thorttle
  • throtle
  • throtlte
  • throttel
  • throttlle
  • thrrottle
  • thrtotle
  • trhottle
  • tthrottle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

htrottle2thhrottle1thorttle2throtle1throtlte2throttel2throttlle1thrrottle1
Edit distance from "throttle"

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 "throttle"?
"throttle" is spelled T-H-R-O-T-T-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθɹɒt.l̩/.
What does "throttle" mean?
As a noun, "throttle" means: A valve that regulates the supply of fuel-air mixture to an internal combustion engine and thus controls its speed; a similar valve that controls the air supply to an engine.
What are common misspellings of "throttle"?
Common misspellings include "htrottle", "thhrottle", "thorttle", "throtle", "throtlte". The correct spelling is "throttle".
How do you pronounce "throttle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "throttle" is /ˈθɹɒt.l̩/. 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 "throttle"?
From Middle English *throtel, diminutive of throte (“throat”), equivalent to throat + -le. Compare German Drossel (“throttle”). More at throat. 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 "throttle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

thatcher#15,717twisting#15,725stuffing#15,709underage#15,727

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

unmarried11 variantsstarved11 variantsspitting11 variantssnapping11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list