timber

/ˈtɪmbə/

//ˈtɪmbə// noun

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

"timber" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“timber” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,072 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,072
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

timber vs time
67% similar
timber vs times
67% similar
timber vs timer
83% similar

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

Key facts for timber
PropertyValue
Headwordtimber
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɪmbə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,072
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “timber” 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). timber 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 timber is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɪmbə/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,072 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for timber, with forms such as "itmber", "tibmer", and "timbber". 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, "time", "times", "timer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tymber, from Old English timber, from Proto-West Germanic *timr, from Proto-Germanic *timrą, from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“build, house”) (see Proto-Indo-European *dṓm). Cognates include Dutch timmer, Old High German zimbar (German Zi… The correct English form is timber, spelled T-I-M-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.
  2. 2
    Wood that has been pre-cut and is ready for use in construction.
  3. 3
    A heavy wooden beam, generally a whole log that has been squared off and used to provide heavy support for something such as a roof.
  4. 4
    Material for any structure.
  5. 5
    The wooden stock of a rifle or shotgun.
  6. 6
    A certain quantity of fur skins (as of martens, ermines, sables, etc.) packed between boards; in some cases forty skins, in others one hundred and twenty. Also timmer, timbre.
  7. 7
    The stumps.

Etymology

From Middle English tymber, from Old English timber, from Proto-West Germanic *timr, from Proto-Germanic *timrą, from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“build, house”) (see Proto-Indo-European *dṓm). Cognates include Dutch timmer, Old High German zimbar (German Zimmer), Norwegian tømmer, Old Norse timbr, Gothic 𐍄𐌹𐌼𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (timrjan, “to build”), Latin domus and Ancient Greek δόμος (dómos).

Synonyms

timberlandforestlumberwoodbeamrafter

This word in other languages

madera(Español)bois(Français)Holz(Deutsch)madeira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itmber,tibmer,timbber,timberr,timebr,timmber,tmiber,ttimber

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of timber - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

itmber2tibmer2timbber1timberr1timebr2timmber1tmiber2ttimber1
Edit distance from "timber"

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 "timber"?
"timber" is spelled T-I-M-B-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪmbə/.
What does "timber" mean?
As a noun, "timber" means: Trees in a forest regarded as a source of wood.
What words are commonly confused with "timber"?
"timber" is commonly confused with "time", "times", "timer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "timber"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "timber" is /ˈtɪmbə/. 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 "timber"?
From Middle English tymber, from Old English timber, from Proto-West Germanic *timr, from Proto-Germanic *timrą, from Proto-Indo-European *dem- (“build, house”) (see Proto-Indo-European *dṓm). Cognates include Dutch timmer, Old High German zimbar ... 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 “timber”

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

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