Thule

/ˈθjuːliː/

//ˈθjuːliː// name

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

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

The verdict

“Thule” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #47,381 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#47,381
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The semi-legendary island of classical antiquity considered to represent the northernmost location in the inhabited world (the Ecumene).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Thule vs Tue
60% similar
Thule vs true
40% similar
Thule vs thus
40% similar

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

Key facts for Thule
PropertyValue
HeadwordThule
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈθjuːliː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#47,381
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Thule” 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). Thule 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 Thule is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈθjuːliː/. Corpus data places it at rank #47,381 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Thule, with forms such as "htule", "thhule", and "thlue". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Tue", "true", "thus", 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 Classical Latin Thūlē, Thȳlē, from Ancient Greek Θούλη (Thoúlē), Θῡ́λη (Thū́lē), of unknown origin, cognate with Middle English Tīle, Tȳle, from Old English Thȳle, Thīla, Thīle (variants of Þȳle) and Medieval Latin Tīle. The correct English form is Thule, spelled T-H-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The semi-legendary island of classical antiquity considered to represent the northernmost location in the inhabited world (the Ecumene).
  2. 2
    A nationalist and occultist group in Germany in the early 20th century, which included some of the founding members of the Nazi Party.
  3. 3
    The historical Eskimo culture extending from Alaska to Greenland between the 6th and 14th centuries.
  4. 4
    A settlement in northwestern Greenland established in 1910 by the Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen.
  5. 5
    An air base built on the site in the 1940s.
  6. 6
    A locality in the Murray River council area, southern New South Wales, Australia.

Etymology

From Classical Latin Thūlē, Thȳlē, from Ancient Greek Θούλη (Thoúlē), Θῡ́λη (Thū́lē), of unknown origin, cognate with Middle English Tīle, Tȳle, from Old English Thȳle, Thīla, Thīle (variants of Þȳle) and Medieval Latin Tīle.

This word in other languages

Thulé(Français)Thule(Deutsch)Tule(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: htule,thhule,thlue,thuel,thulle,tthule,tuhle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Thule - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

htule2thhule1thlue2thuel2thulle1tthule1tuhle2
Edit distance from "Thule"

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 "Thule"?
"Thule" is spelled T-H-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈθjuːliː/.
What does "Thule" mean?
As a proper noun, "Thule" means: The semi-legendary island of classical antiquity considered to represent the northernmost location in the inhabited world (the Ecumene).
What words are commonly confused with "Thule"?
"Thule" is commonly confused with "Tue", "true", "thus". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Thule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Thule" is /ˈθjuːliː/. 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 "Thule"?
From Classical Latin Thūlē, Thȳlē, from Ancient Greek Θούλη (Thoúlē), Θῡ́λη (Thū́lē), of unknown origin, cognate with Middle English Tīle, Tȳle, from Old English Thȳle, Thīla, Thīle (variants of Þȳle) and Medieval Latin Tīle. 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 “Thule”

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

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