tincture

/ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/

//ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tincture” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #43,419. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#43,419
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tincture · tincture · English

tincture · rank #43,419 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #43,419
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH timeliness

Nearest frequency peer: timeliness (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “tincture”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “tincture” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tincture
PropertyValue
Headwordtincture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#43,419
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tincture” 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).tincturelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “timeliness” (#43,418), “tio” (#43,420), “Thrace” (#43,417). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around tincture (IPA /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #43,419 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 13 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for tincture, with forms such as "itncture", "ticnture", and "tinccture". 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. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Late Middle English tincture (“a dye, pigment; a colour, hue, tint; process of colouring or dyeing; medicinal ointment or salve (perhaps one discolouring the skin); use of a medicinal tincture; (alchemy) transmutation of base metals… The correct English form is tincture, spelled T-I-N-C-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  2. 2
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  3. 3
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  4. 4
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  5. 5
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  6. 6
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  7. 7
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  8. 8
    Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
  9. 9
    Scientific and alchemical senses.
  10. 10
    Scientific and alchemical senses.
  11. 11
    Scientific and alchemical senses.
  12. 12
    Scientific and alchemical senses.
  13. 13
    Scientific and alchemical senses.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [O]ur daintie dames and fine ladies have begun to ſet their mind upon this colour [amber], and have placed it in the third ranke of rich tincture: vvhereby vve may ſee there is no ſuperfluitie and diſorder in the vvorld, but it hath a pretence and cloake of ſome precious name or other.
  2. [A]ll both men and vvomen paint or embroider their skinnes vvith Iron pennes, putting indelible tinctures thereunto.

Etymology

The noun is derived from Late Middle English tincture (“a dye, pigment; a colour, hue, tint; process of colouring or dyeing; medicinal ointment or salve (perhaps one discolouring the skin); use of a medicinal tincture; (alchemy) transmutation of base metals into gold; ability to cause such transmutation; substance supposed to cause such transmutation”) [and other forms], borrowed from Latin tīnctūra (“act of dyeing”) + Middle English -ure (suffix indicating an action or a process and the means or result of that action or process). Tīnctūra is derived from tīnctus (“coloured, tinged; dipped in; impregnated with; treated”) + -tūra (suffix forming action nouns expressing activities or results); while tīnctus is the perfect passive participle of tingō (“to colour, dye, tinge; to dip (in), immerse; to impregnate (with); to moisten, wet; to smear”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to dip; to soak”). Doublet of tainture, teinture, and tinctura. The verb is derived from the noun.

This word in other languages

tintura(Español)couleur(Français)Tinktur(Deutsch)cor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • itncture
  • ticnture
  • tinccture
  • tinctrue
  • tinctture
  • tinctuer
  • tincturre
  • tincutre
  • tinncture
  • tintcure
  • tnicture
  • ttincture

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itncture2ticnture2tinccture1tinctrue2tinctture1tinctuer2tincturre1tincutre2
Edit distance from "tincture"

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 "tincture"?
"tincture" is spelled T-I-N-C-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/.
What does "tincture" mean?
As a noun, "tincture" means: Senses relating to colour, and to dipping something into a liquid.
What are common misspellings of "tincture"?
Common misspellings include "itncture", "ticnture", "tinccture", "tinctrue", "tinctture". The correct spelling is "tincture".
How do you pronounce "tincture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tincture" is /ˈtɪŋ(k)tʃə/. 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 "tincture"?
The noun is derived from Late Middle English tincture (“a dye, pigment; a colour, hue, tint; process of colouring or dyeing; medicinal ointment or salve (perhaps one discolouring the skin); use of a medicinal tincture; (alchemy) transmutation of b... 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 "tincture", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

thinnest#43,416tentacle#43,410transact#43,430Tuskegee#43,440

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

underpin12 variantsunseemly12 variantswallowing12 variantsairbrush12 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "tincture". Here's where to go from here.

  • 12 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #43,419 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "T" letter cohort. T–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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