tissue

/ˈtɪs.juː/

//ˈtɪs.juː// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tissue” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,195. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,195
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Thin, woven, gauze-like fabric.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tissue vs tussle
67% similar

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

Key facts for tissue
PropertyValue
Headwordtissue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɪs.juː/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,195
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tissue” 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). tissue lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around tissue (IPA /ˈtɪs.juː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #4,195 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tissue, with forms such as "itssue", "tisseu", and "tisue". 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, "tussle", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tissu, from Old French tissu (“woven”), past participle of tistre (“to weave”), from Latin texō (“to weave”). The correct English form is tissue, spelled T-I-S-S-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Thin, woven, gauze-like fabric.
  2. 2
    A fine transparent silk material, used for veils, etc.; specifically, cloth interwoven with gold or silver threads, or embossed with figures.
  3. 3
    A sheet of absorbent paper, especially one that is made to be used as tissue paper, toilet paper or a handkerchief.
  4. 4
    Absorbent paper as material.
  5. 5
    A group of cells (along with their extracellular matrix if any) that are similar in origin and function together to do a specific job.
  6. 6
    Web; texture; complicated fabrication; connected series.
  7. 7
    The scratch sheet or racing form.

Etymology

From Middle English tissu, from Old French tissu (“woven”), past participle of tistre (“to weave”), from Latin texō (“to weave”).

This word in other languages

tejido(Español)tissu(Français)Gewebe(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • itssue
  • tisseu
  • tisue
  • tisuse
  • tsisue
  • ttissue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

itssue2tisseu2tisue1tisuse2tsisue2ttissue1
Edit distance from "tissue"

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 "tissue"?
"tissue" is spelled T-I-S-S-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɪs.juː/.
What does "tissue" mean?
As a noun, "tissue" means: Thin, woven, gauze-like fabric.
What words are commonly confused with "tissue"?
"tissue" is commonly confused with "tussle". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tissue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tissue" is /ˈtɪs.juː/. 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 "tissue"?
From Middle English tissu, from Old French tissu (“woven”), past participle of tistre (“to weave”), from Latin texō (“to weave”). 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 “tissue”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-I-S-S-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtɪs.juː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “tussle” - see the side-by-side comparison. tissue vs tussle
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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