toboggan

/təˈbɒɡ.ən/

//təˈbɒɡ.ən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“toboggan” is uncommon English (frequency #66,350 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,350
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.

Corpus desk

Index EN-toboggan · toboggan · English

toboggan · rank #66,350 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #66,350
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Toba

Nearest frequency peer: Toba (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “toboggan”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “toboggan” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for toboggan
PropertyValue
Headwordtoboggan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/təˈbɒɡ.ən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#66,350
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “toboggan” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).tobogganfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Toba” (#66,349), “toho” (#66,351), “tormentor” (#66,353). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “toboggan” is #66,350. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

toboggan is uncommon English at frequency #66,350 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /təˈbɒɡ.ən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for toboggan in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is attested since 1829, the verb since 1846. Both derive from French tabaganne, which derives from an Algonquian word, probably Mi'kmaq tepaqan or Abenaki dabôgan, influenced by similar words in other Eastern Canadian Algonquian languages. The sens… The correct English form is toboggan, spelled T-O-B-O-G-G-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.
  2. 2
    A similar sled of wood, pulled by dogs, possibly with steel runners, made to transport cargo.
  3. 3
    Something which, once it starts going (figuratively) downhill, is unstoppable until it reaches the bottom.
  4. 4
    A knit cap, designed to provide warmth in cold weather.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Toboggan has not yet found its Way into the dictionaries, and there are other ways of spelling it.
  2. Nothing could be more exciting and exhilarating than a slide, on sleigh or toboggan, from the lofty summit of the ice-mound or cone down to its base.

Etymology

The noun is attested since 1829, the verb since 1846. Both derive from French tabaganne, which derives from an Algonquian word, probably Mi'kmaq tepaqan or Abenaki dabôgan, influenced by similar words in other Eastern Canadian Algonquian languages. The sense of "hat" is recorded since 1929 and is short for toboggan cap (1928), a cap suitable for wearing while tobogganing.

Synonyms

sledsledgesledgecariolecarriolewatch capbeanietuque

This word in other languages

tobogán(Español)toboggan(Français)Toboggan(Deutsch)

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 "toboggan"?
"toboggan" is spelled T-O-B-O-G-G-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /təˈbɒɡ.ən/.
What does "toboggan" mean?
As a noun, "toboggan" means: A long sled without runners, with the front end curled upwards, which may be pulled across snow by a cord or used to coast down hills.
How do you pronounce "toboggan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "toboggan" is /təˈbɒɡ.ən/. 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 "toboggan"?
The noun is attested since 1829, the verb since 1846. Both derive from French tabaganne, which derives from an Algonquian word, probably Mi'kmaq tepaqan or Abenaki dabôgan, influenced by similar words in other Eastern Canadian Algonquian languages... 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 "toboggan", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

torturer#66,354Takeuchi#66,334tailwind#66,333tailback#66,332

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list