torment

/ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/

//ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt// noun

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

"torment" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“torment” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,206. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,206
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A catapult or other kind of war-engine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-torment · torment · English

torment · rank #18,206 · 11 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,206
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH topless

Nearest frequency peer: topless (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “torment”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “torment” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

torment vs Trent
57% similar
torment vs torrent
86% similar
torment vs Torrens
57% similar

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

Key facts for torment
PropertyValue
Headwordtorment
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#18,206
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “torment”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tormentlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “topless” (#18,205), “tyrant” (#18,207), “thirteenth” (#18,204). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “torment” is #18,206. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around torment (IPA /ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,206 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for torment, with forms such as "otrment", "tomrent", and "toremnt". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Trent", "torrent", "Torrens", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum (“something operated by twisting”), from torquere (“to twist”). The correct English form is torment, spelled T-O-R-M-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A catapult or other kind of war-engine.
  2. 2
    Torture, originally as inflicted by an instrument of torture.
  3. 3
    Any extreme pain, anguish or misery, either physical or mental.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I've gone through living torment.
  2. He behaved bitter from the torments of the divorce.

Etymology

From Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum (“something operated by twisting”), from torquere (“to twist”).

This word in other languages

tormento(Español)tourment(Français)Qual(Deutsch)tormento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otrment
  • tomrent
  • toremnt
  • tormennt
  • tormentt
  • tormetn
  • tormment
  • tormnet
  • torrment
  • troment
  • ttorment

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otrment2tomrent2toremnt2tormennt1tormentt1tormetn2tormment1tormnet2
Edit distance from "torment"

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 "torment"?
"torment" is spelled T-O-R-M-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/.
What does "torment" mean?
As a noun, "torment" means: A catapult or other kind of war-engine.
What words are commonly confused with "torment"?
"torment" is commonly confused with "Trent", "torrent", "Torrens". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "torment"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "torment" is /ˈtɔː(ɹ)mɛnt/. 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 "torment"?
From Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum (“something operated by twisting”), from torquere (“to twist”). 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 "torment", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

topless#18,205suction#18,197steamer#18,195spinner#18,194

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

unbeaten11 variantswhipping11 variantssouvenir11 variantswithheld11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list