tiresome

/ˈtaɪɚsəm/

//ˈtaɪɚsəm// adj

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

The verdict

“tiresome” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,283 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#26,283
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tiresome vs threesome
78% similar

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

Key facts for tiresome
PropertyValue
Headwordtiresome
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈtaɪɚsəm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#26,283
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tiresome” 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). tiresome 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 tiresome is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtaɪɚsəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,283 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for tiresome, with forms such as "itresome", "tiersome", and "tireosme". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "threesome", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tire + -some. The correct English form is tiresome, spelled T-I-R-E-S-O-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome.

Etymology

From tire + -some.

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: itresome,tiersome,tireosme,tiresmoe,tiresoem,tiresomme,tiressome,tirresome,tirseome,triesome,ttiresome

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itresome2tiersome2tireosme2tiresmoe2tiresoem2tiresomme1tiressome1tirresome1
Edit distance from "tiresome"

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 "tiresome"?
"tiresome" is spelled T-I-R-E-S-O-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtaɪɚsəm/.
What does "tiresome" mean?
As an adjective, "tiresome" means: Causing fatigue or boredom; wearisome.
What words are commonly confused with "tiresome"?
"tiresome" is commonly confused with "threesome". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tiresome"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tiresome" is /ˈtaɪɚsəm/. 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 "tiresome"?
From tire + -some. 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 “tiresome”

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

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