tiger

/ˈtaɪɡə/

//ˈtaɪɡə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tiger” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,340. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,340
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tiger · tiger · English

tiger · rank #4,340 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,340
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH throat

Nearest frequency peer: throat (-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 “tiger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tiger” 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).

tiger vs time
60% similar
tiger vs tire
60% similar
tiger vs tile
60% similar

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

Key facts for tiger
PropertyValue
Headwordtiger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtaɪɡə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,340
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tiger”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tigerlands 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 “throat” (#4,339), “touched” (#4,341), “talented” (#4,338). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tiger” is #4,340. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around tiger (IPA /ˈtaɪɡə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,340 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 16 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tiger, with forms such as "itger", "tgier", and "tiegr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "time", "tire", "tile", 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 tygre, in part from Old English tigras (pl.), in part from Anglo-Norman tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Ancient Greek τίγρις (tígris), from Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬔𐬭𐬌 (tigri, “arrow”), 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “pointed”)). Ultimat… The correct English form is tiger, spelled T-I-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.
  2. 2
    Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.
  3. 3
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  4. 4
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  5. 5
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  6. 6
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  7. 7
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  8. 8
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  9. 9
    Certain other animals that resemble true tigers in appearance, pattern, colouration, etc.
  10. 10
    A representation of a large mythological cat, used on a coat of arms.
  11. 11
    A leopard.
  12. 12
    A relatively small country or group of countries with a fast-growing economy.
  13. 13
    A servant in livery, who rides with his master or mistress.
  14. 14
    A person who is very athletic during sexual intercourse.
  15. 15
    A ferocious, bloodthirsty and audacious person.
  16. 16
    A pneumatic box or pan used in refining sugar.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For with ſuch puiſſance and impetuous maine / Thoſe Champions broke on them, that forſt the fly, / Like ſcattered Sheepe, whenas the Shepherds ſwaine / A Lyon and a Tigre doth eſpye, / With greedy pace forth ruſhing from the foreſt nye.
  2. Coordinate term: tigress

Etymology

From Middle English tygre, in part from Old English tigras (pl.), in part from Anglo-Norman tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Ancient Greek τίγρις (tígris), from Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬔𐬭𐬌 (tigri, “arrow”), 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “pointed”)). Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)teyg- (“to pierce, prick, be sharp”). Compare English stick.

Synonyms

tiger

This word in other languages

tigre(Español)tigre(Français)Tiger(Deutsch)tigre(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • itger
  • tgier
  • tiegr
  • tigerr
  • tigre
  • ttiger

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itger2tgier2tiegr2tigerr1tigre2ttiger1
Edit distance from "tiger"

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 "tiger"?
"tiger" is spelled T-I-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtaɪɡə/.
What does "tiger" mean?
As a noun, "tiger" means: Panthera tigris, a large predatory mammal of the cat family, indigenous to Asia.
What words are commonly confused with "tiger"?
"tiger" is commonly confused with "time", "tire", "tile". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tiger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tiger" is /ˈtaɪɡə/. 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 "tiger"?
From Middle English tygre, in part from Old English tigras (pl.), in part from Anglo-Norman tigre, both from Latin tigris, from Ancient Greek τίγρις (tígris), from Iranian (compare Avestan 𐬙𐬌𐬔𐬭𐬌 (tigri, “arrow”), 𐬙𐬌𐬖𐬭𐬀 (tiγra, “pointed”)... 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 "tiger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

slide#4,335alien#4,347beast#4,350sauce#4,330

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

stem6 variantsclay6 variantsnuts6 variantsdrag6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list