tremolo

/ˈtrɛmələʊ/

//ˈtrɛmələʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tremolo” is uncommon English (frequency #58,423 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,423
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. It can also be intended to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note. It is notated...

Corpus desk

Index EN-tremolo · tremolo · English

tremolo · rank #58,423 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,423
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH trike

Nearest frequency peer: trike (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “tremolo”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “tremolo” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tremolo
PropertyValue
Headwordtremolo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtrɛmələʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#58,423
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tremolo” in English

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

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “trike” (#58,424), “Trappist” (#58,421), “trots” (#58,425). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tremolo” is #58,423. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tremolo is uncommon English at frequency #58,423 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtrɛmələʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for tremolo in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian tremolo, first-person present indicative of tremolare (“to shake, to tremble”). Origin: 1715-25. The correct English form is tremolo, spelled T-R-E-M-O-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. It can also be intended to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note. It is notated by a strong diagonal bar across the note stem, or a detached bar for a set of notes (or stemless notes).
  2. 2
    A variation in the volume of a note or a chord, evoking a tremor or quiver.
  3. 3
    The device in an organ that produces a tremolo effect.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. It commenced with a slow crescendo, so irresistibly lugubrious that two of our dogs at once raised their heads and swelled their voices into a responsive tremolo, which may have been heard and appreciated by their distant relatives.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian tremolo, first-person present indicative of tremolare (“to shake, to tremble”). Origin: 1715-25.

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 "tremolo"?
"tremolo" is spelled T-R-E-M-O-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtrɛmələʊ/.
What does "tremolo" mean?
As a noun, "tremolo" means: A rapid repetition of the same note, or an alternation between two or more notes. It can also be intended to mean a rapid and repetitive variation in pitch for the duration of a note. It is notated...
How do you pronounce "tremolo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tremolo" is /ˈtrɛmələʊ/. 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 "tremolo"?
Borrowed from Italian tremolo, first-person present indicative of tremolare (“to shake, to tremble”). Origin: 1715-25. 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 "tremolo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

tigress#58,414tempera#58,409technic#58,405vesicle#58,443

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list