tint

/tɪnt/

//tɪnt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tint” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #21,964 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#21,964
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A slight coloring.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tint vs TN
0% similar
tint vs TT
0% similar
tint vs tip
50% similar

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

Key facts for tint
PropertyValue
Headwordtint
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɪnt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#21,964
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tint” 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). tint 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 tint is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɪnt/. Corpus data places it at rank #21,964 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tint, with forms such as "itnt", "tinnt", and "tintt". 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, "TN", "TT", "tip", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of earlier tinct, influenced by French teinte (“tint”), from Latin tinctus (“dyed”), past participle of verb tingō (“tinge”). Doublet of tent (“kind of red wine”). Cognate with Dutch tint, Estonian tint, French teinte, German Tinte, Hungarian tin… The correct English form is tint, spelled T-I-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A slight coloring.
  2. 2
    A pale or faint tinge of any color; especially, a variation of a color obtained by adding white (contrast shade)
  3. 3
    A color considered with reference to other very similar colors.
  4. 4
    A shaded effect in engraving, produced by the juxtaposition of many fine parallel lines.
  5. 5
    A vehicle window that has been darkened to conceal the occupant.

Etymology

Alteration of earlier tinct, influenced by French teinte (“tint”), from Latin tinctus (“dyed”), past participle of verb tingō (“tinge”). Doublet of tent (“kind of red wine”). Cognate with Dutch tint, Estonian tint, French teinte, German Tinte, Hungarian tinta, Italian tinta, Luxembourgish Tintin, Portuguese tinta, and Spanish tinta.

This word in other languages

tinta(Español)Tönung(Deutsch)coloração(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itnt,tinnt,tintt,titn,tnit,ttint

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itnt2tinnt1tintt1titn2tnit2ttint1
Edit distance from "tint"

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 "tint"?
"tint" is spelled T-I-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /tɪnt/.
What does "tint" mean?
As a noun, "tint" means: A slight coloring.
What words are commonly confused with "tint"?
"tint" is commonly confused with "TN", "TT", "tip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tint"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tint" is /tɪnt/. 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 "tint"?
Alteration of earlier tinct, influenced by French teinte (“tint”), from Latin tinctus (“dyed”), past participle of verb tingō (“tinge”). Doublet of tent (“kind of red wine”). Cognate with Dutch tint, Estonian tint, French teinte, German Tinte, Hun... 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 “tint”

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

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