ticklish

/ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/

//ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ// adj

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

The verdict

“ticklish” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,220. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,220
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sensitive or susceptible to being tickled.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ticklish · ticklish · English

ticklish · rank #46,220 · 13 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #46,220
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH timestamp

Nearest frequency peer: timestamp (+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 “ticklish”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ticklish” 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).

ticklish vs tickling
75% similar

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

Key facts for ticklish
PropertyValue
Headwordticklish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#46,220
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ticklish”

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).ticklishlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “timestamp” (#46,221), “tivo” (#46,222), “Texarkana” (#46,215). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “ticklish” is #46,220. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around ticklish (IPA /ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #46,220 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for ticklish, with forms such as "itcklish", "tciklish", and "ticcklish". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "tickling", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tickle + -ish. The correct English form is ticklish, spelled T-I-C-K-L-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sensitive or susceptible to being tickled.
  2. 2
    Touchy, sensitive, or delicate.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She is ticklish only on her tummy and the bottoms of her feet.
  2. That was the funeral oration of one friend and client; and he could not help a certain apprehension lest the good name of another should be sucked down in the eddy of the scandal. It was, at least, a ticklish decision that he had to make; and self-reliant as he was by habit, he began to cherish a longing for advice.

Etymology

From tickle + -ish.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • itcklish
  • tciklish
  • ticcklish
  • tickilsh
  • tickklish
  • ticklihs
  • ticklishh
  • ticklissh
  • tickllish
  • ticklsih
  • ticlkish
  • tikclish
  • tticklish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itcklish2tciklish2ticcklish1tickilsh2tickklish1ticklihs2ticklishh1ticklissh1
Edit distance from "ticklish"

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 "ticklish"?
"ticklish" is spelled T-I-C-K-L-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/.
What does "ticklish" mean?
As an adjective, "ticklish" means: Sensitive or susceptible to being tickled.
What words are commonly confused with "ticklish"?
"ticklish" is commonly confused with "tickling". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ticklish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ticklish" is /ˈtɪk(ə)lɪʃ/. 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 "ticklish"?
From tickle + -ish. 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 "ticklish", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list