toothbrush

/ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/

//ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ// noun

"toothbrush" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“toothbrush” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,736. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,736
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
16
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the teeth.

Key facts for toothbrush
PropertyValue
Headwordtoothbrush
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#17,736
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “toothbrush” 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). toothbrush 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 16 spelling variants around toothbrush (IPA /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #17,736 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the teeth.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for toothbrush, with forms such as "otothbrush", "toohtbrush", and "tootbhrush". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tooth + brush. Compare Saterland Frisian Tuskebäärsel (“toothbrush”), West Frisian toskboarstel (“toothbrush”), Dutch tandenborstel (“toothbrush”), German Zahnbürste (“toothbrush”), Danish tandbørste (“toothbrush”), Swedish tandborste (“toothbrush”), I… The correct English form is toothbrush, spelled T-O-O-T-H-B-R-U-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the teeth.

Etymology

From tooth + brush. Compare Saterland Frisian Tuskebäärsel (“toothbrush”), West Frisian toskboarstel (“toothbrush”), Dutch tandenborstel (“toothbrush”), German Zahnbürste (“toothbrush”), Danish tandbørste (“toothbrush”), Swedish tandborste (“toothbrush”), Icelandic tannbursti (“toothbrush”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otothbrush,toohtbrush,tootbhrush,toothbbrush,toothbrrush,toothbrsuh,toothbruhs,toothbrushh,toothbrussh,toothbursh,toothhbrush,toothrbush,tootthbrush,tothbrush,totohbrush,ttoothbrush

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otothbrush2toohtbrush2tootbhrush2toothbbrush1toothbrrush1toothbrsuh2toothbruhs2toothbrushh1
Edit distance from "toothbrush"

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 "toothbrush"?
"toothbrush" is spelled T-O-O-T-H-B-R-U-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/.
What does "toothbrush" mean?
As a noun, "toothbrush" means: A brush, used with toothpaste, for cleaning the teeth.
What are common misspellings of "toothbrush"?
Common misspellings include "otothbrush", "toohtbrush", "tootbhrush", "toothbbrush", "toothbrrush". The correct spelling is "toothbrush".
How do you pronounce "toothbrush"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "toothbrush" is /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/. 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 "toothbrush"?
From tooth + brush. Compare Saterland Frisian Tuskebäärsel (“toothbrush”), West Frisian toskboarstel (“toothbrush”), Dutch tandenborstel (“toothbrush”), German Zahnbürste (“toothbrush”), Danish tandbørste (“toothbrush”), Swedish tandborste (“tooth... 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 “toothbrush”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-O-O-T-H-B-R-U-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈtuːθ.bɹʌʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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