torn

/tɔːn/

//tɔːn// verb

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

"torn" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“torn” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,306. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,306
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - past participle of tear

Corpus desk

Index EN-torn · torn · English

torn · rank #6,306 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,306
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tooth

Nearest frequency peer: tooth (-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 “torn”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “torn” 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).

torn vs try
50% similar
torn vs toy
50% similar
torn vs tow
50% similar

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

Key facts for torn
PropertyValue
Headwordtorn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/tɔːn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,306
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “torn”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “tooth” (#6,305), “tragic” (#6,307), “toll” (#6,304). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “torn” is #6,306. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around torn (IPA /tɔːn/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,306 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "past participle of tear".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for torn, with forms such as "otrn", "tonr", and "tornn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "try", "toy", "tow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is torn, spelled T-O-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    past participle of tear

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • otrn
  • tonr
  • tornn
  • torrn
  • tron
  • ttorn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otrn2tonr2tornn1torrn1tron2ttorn1
Edit distance from "torn"

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 "torn"?
"torn" is spelled T-O-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /tɔːn/.
What does "torn" mean?
As a verb, "torn" means: past participle of tear
What words are commonly confused with "torn"?
"torn" is commonly confused with "try", "toy", "tow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "torn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "torn" is /tɔːn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "torn" come from?
"torn" is a English word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 "torn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

toll#6,304shaw#6,296pets#6,280pale#6,275

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

tooth6 variantsallied6 variantsbeard6 variantslined6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list