torso

/ˈtɔː.səʊ/

//ˈtɔː.səʊ// noun

"torso" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“torso” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,046 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,046
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The main part of the (human) body that extends from the neck to the groin, excluding the head and limbs.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

torso vs TOS
0% similar
torso vs toys
60% similar
torso vs trio
60% similar

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

Key facts for torso
PropertyValue
Headwordtorso
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɔː.səʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#17,046
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “torso” 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). torso 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 torso is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɔː.səʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,046 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The main part of the (human) body that extends from the neck to the groin, excluding the head and limbs.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for torso, with forms such as "otrso", "toros", and "torrso". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "TOS", "toys", "trio", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian torso, from Late Latin tursus, from Latin thyrsus, from Ancient Greek θύρσος (thúrsos, “Bacchic staff”). Doublet of thyrse, thyrsus, and torse. The correct English form is torso, spelled T-O-R-S-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    The main part of the (human) body that extends from the neck to the groin, excluding the head and limbs.

Etymology

From Italian torso, from Late Latin tursus, from Latin thyrsus, from Ancient Greek θύρσος (thúrsos, “Bacchic staff”). Doublet of thyrse, thyrsus, and torse.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: otrso,toros,torrso,torsso,tosro,troso,ttorso

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

otrso2toros2torrso1torsso1tosro2troso2ttorso1
Edit distance from "torso"

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 "torso"?
"torso" is spelled T-O-R-S-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɔː.səʊ/.
What does "torso" mean?
As a noun, "torso" means: The main part of the (human) body that extends from the neck to the groin, excluding the head and limbs.
What words are commonly confused with "torso"?
"torso" is commonly confused with "TOS", "toys", "trio". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "torso"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "torso" is /ˈtɔː.səʊ/. 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 "torso"?
From Italian torso, from Late Latin tursus, from Latin thyrsus, from Ancient Greek θύρσος (thúrsos, “Bacchic staff”). Doublet of thyrse, thyrsus, and torse. 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 “torso”

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

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