tiki

/ˈtiːkiː/

//ˈtiːkiː// noun

"tiki" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tiki” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,615 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,615
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tiki vs TK
0% similar
tiki vs tip
50% similar
tiki vs Tim
25% similar

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

Key facts for tiki
PropertyValue
Headwordtiki
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtiːkiː/
Letters4
Frequency rank#25,615
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tiki” 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). tiki 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 tiki is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtiːkiː/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,615 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for tiki, with forms such as "itki", "tiik", and "tikki". 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, "TK", "tip", "Tim", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Māori tiki (“figurine”). The correct English form is tiki, spelled T-I-K-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean.

Etymology

Borrowed from Māori tiki (“figurine”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itki,tiik,tikki,tkii,ttiki

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itki2tiik2tikki1tkii2ttiki1
Edit distance from "tiki"

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 "tiki"?
"tiki" is spelled T-I-K-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtiːkiː/.
What does "tiki" mean?
As a noun, "tiki" means: Carved talisman in humanoid form, common to the cultures of the Pacific Ocean.
What words are commonly confused with "tiki"?
"tiki" is commonly confused with "TK", "tip", "Tim". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tiki"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tiki" is /ˈtiːkiː/. 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 "tiki"?
Borrowed from Māori tiki (“figurine”). 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 “tiki”

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

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