tipsy

/ˈtɪp.si/

//ˈtɪp.si// adj

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

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

The verdict

“tipsy” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,319. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,319
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Slightly drunk, fuddled, staggering, foolish as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tipsy · tipsy · English

tipsy · rank #34,319 · 8 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,319
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH TfL

Nearest frequency peer: TfL (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “tipsy”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “tipsy” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tipsy vs TPS
0% similar
tipsy vs tops
60% similar
tipsy vs tits
60% similar

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

Key facts for tipsy
PropertyValue
Headwordtipsy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtɪp.si/
Letters5
Frequency rank#34,319
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tipsy”

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).tipsylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “TfL” (#34,318), “tirade” (#34,320), “Teague” (#34,317). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tipsy” is #34,319. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around tipsy (IPA /ˈtɪp.si/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #34,319 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for tipsy, with forms such as "itpsy", "tippsy", and "tipssy". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "TPS", "tops", "tits", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tips + -y. Compare artsy, folksy, and sudsy. The correct English form is tipsy, spelled T-I-P-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Slightly drunk, fuddled, staggering, foolish as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages.
  2. 2
    Unsteady, askew.
  3. 3
    Containing alcohol.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I was too tipsy to protest.
  2. tipsy apple pie

Etymology

From tips + -y. Compare artsy, folksy, and sudsy.

Synonyms

buzzedmerrysquiffydrunkoff-kilterprecarioustotteringwobblyaskewrickety

This word in other languages

achispado(Español)éméché(Français)beschwipst(Deutsch)alto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • itpsy
  • tippsy
  • tipssy
  • tipsyy
  • tipys
  • tispy
  • tpisy
  • ttipsy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itpsy2tippsy1tipssy1tipsyy1tipys2tispy2tpisy2ttipsy1
Edit distance from "tipsy"

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 "tipsy"?
"tipsy" is spelled T-I-P-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪp.si/.
What does "tipsy" mean?
As an adjective, "tipsy" means: Slightly drunk, fuddled, staggering, foolish as a result of drinking alcoholic beverages.
What words are commonly confused with "tipsy"?
"tipsy" is commonly confused with "TPS", "tops", "tits". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tipsy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tipsy" is /ˈtɪp.si/. 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 "tipsy"?
From tips + -y. Compare artsy, folksy, and sudsy. 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 "tipsy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

topaz#34,322sheng#34,283Aetna#34,368Sadiq#34,269

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

tirade8 variantsTorino8 variantsvigour8 variantsSamoan8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list