transfer

Name: transfer, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/

//tɹɑːnsˈfɜː// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“transfer” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,971 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,971
frequency rank, English: 8
letters: 13
tracked misspellings: 1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To move or pass from one place, person or thing to another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

transfer vs transform

78% similar

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

Key facts for transfer
Property	Value
Headword	transfer
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#1,971
Misspellings tracked	13
Confusable pairs	1
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “transfer” 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). transfer lands here:

#1,971

#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 transfer is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,971 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for transfer, with forms such as "rtansfer", "tarnsfer", and "tranfser". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "transform", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin trānsferō (“I bear across”). Distant doublet of translate. See also collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. The correct English form is transfer, spelled T-R-A-N-S-F-E-R.

Definition

1
To move or pass from one place, person or thing to another.
2
To convey the impression of (something) from one surface to another.
3
To exit one mass transit vehicle and board another (typically one belonging to a different line or mode of transportation) to continue a journey.
4
To be or become transferred.
5
To arrange for something to belong to or be officially controlled by somebody else.
6
To move from a wheelchair to another seating surface, or to a wheelchair from another seating surface.

Etymology

From Latin trānsferō (“I bear across”). Distant doublet of translate. See also collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others.

Synonyms

carry over move onpass copy transpose abalienate alien alienate assign change hands consign convey grant transfer

This word in other languages

transferir(Español)transférer(Français)übertragen(Deutsch)transferir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtansfer,tarnsfer,tranfser,trannsfer,transefr,transferr,transffer,transfre,transsfer,trasnfer,trnasfer,trransfer,ttransfer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of transfer - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "transfer"

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 "transfer"?

"transfer" is spelled T-R-A-N-S-F-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/.

What does "transfer" mean?

As a verb, "transfer" means: To move or pass from one place, person or thing to another.

What words are commonly confused with "transfer"?

"transfer" is commonly confused with "transform". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "transfer"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "transfer" is /tɹɑːnsˈfɜː/. 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 "transfer"?

From Latin trānsferō (“I bear across”). Distant doublet of translate. See also collate and confer, delate and defer, as well as prelate and prefer among others. 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 “transfer”

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

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