tilak

/ˈtɪlək/

//ˈtɪlək// noun

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

The verdict

“tilak” is uncommon English (frequency #64,770 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,770
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mark or symbol worn on the forehead by Hindus, ornamentally or as an indication of status.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tilak · tilak · English

tilak · rank #64,770 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,770
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH thumbing

Nearest frequency peer: thumbing (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “tilak”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “tilak” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tilak
PropertyValue
Headwordtilak
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɪlək/
Letters5
Frequency rank#64,770
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tilak” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tilakfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “thumbing” (#64,769), “timekeeping” (#64,771), “Thorburn” (#64,768). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tilak” is #64,770. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tilak is uncommon English at frequency #64,770 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɪlək/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A mark or symbol worn on the forehead by Hindus, ornamentally or as an indication of status.".

tilak doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Sanskrit तिलक (tilaka). The correct English form is tilak, spelled T-I-L-A-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mark or symbol worn on the forehead by Hindus, ornamentally or as an indication of status.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I wore these spots of shine and silver like tilaks, the marks of colour that we Hindus wear on our foreheads as symbols of the divine.
  2. He dressed in a dhoti, had a wispy white beard that trailed down to his waist, and regularly smeared across his forehead a tilaka, a pitchfork-shaped design that signifies enlightenment.

Etymology

From Sanskrit तिलक (tilaka).

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 "tilak"?
"tilak" is spelled T-I-L-A-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪlək/.
What does "tilak" mean?
As a noun, "tilak" means: A mark or symbol worn on the forehead by Hindus, ornamentally or as an indication of status.
How do you pronounce "tilak"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tilak" is /ˈtɪlək/. 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 "tilak"?
From Sanskrit तिलक (tilaka). 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 "tilak", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list