tom

/tɒm/

//tɒm// noun

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

"tom" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tom” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,582 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,582
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tom vs TV
0% similar
tom vs TX
0% similar
tom vs Tu
0% similar

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

Key facts for tom
PropertyValue
Headwordtom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɒm/
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,582
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tom” 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). tom 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 tom is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɒm/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,582 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for tom, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TV", "TX", "Tu", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From generic use of the proper name Tom. The correct English form is tom, spelled T-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.
  2. 2
    The male of the turkey.
  3. 3
    The male of the orangutan.
  4. 4
    The male of certain other animals.
  5. 5
    A female prostitute.
  6. 6
    A lesbian.
  7. 7
    Clipping of tom-tom.
  8. 8
    The jack of trumps in the card game gleek.
  9. 9
    A close-stool.

Etymology

From generic use of the proper name Tom.

Synonyms

tomcathe-catturkeycockmalebuckstag

This word in other languages

gato(Español)matou(Français)Kater(Deutsch)gato(Português)

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 "tom"?
"tom" is spelled T-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /tɒm/.
What does "tom" mean?
As a noun, "tom" means: The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.
What words are commonly confused with "tom"?
"tom" is commonly confused with "TV", "TX", "Tu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tom" is /tɒm/. 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 "tom"?
From generic use of the proper name Tom. 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 “tom”

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

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