trombone

/ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/

//ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn// noun

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

"trombone" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“trombone” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,263. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,263
frequency rank, English
27,828
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A musical instrument in the brass family, having a cylindrical bore, and usually a sliding tube (but sometimes piston valves, and rarely both). Most often refers to the tenor trombone, which is the...

Key facts for trombone
PropertyValue
Headwordtrombone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#30,263
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trombone” 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). trombone lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around trombone (IPA /ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,263 among 27,828 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for trombone, with forms such as "rtombone", "tormbone", and "trmobone". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian trombone, from tromba (“trumpet”) + -one (augmentative), literally “large trumpet”. The telecommunications sense alludes to the shape of the musical instrument. The correct English form is trombone, spelled T-R-O-M-B-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A musical instrument in the brass family, having a cylindrical bore, and usually a sliding tube (but sometimes piston valves, and rarely both). Most often refers to the tenor trombone, which is the most common type of trombone and has a fundamental tone of B♭ˌ (contra B♭).
  2. 2
    The common European bittern.
  3. 3
    A kind of extendable support for attaching lighting elements to a set.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian trombone, from tromba (“trumpet”) + -one (augmentative), literally “large trumpet”. The telecommunications sense alludes to the shape of the musical instrument.

This word in other languages

trombón(Español)trombone(Français)Posaune(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • rtombone
  • tormbone
  • trmobone
  • trobmone
  • trombbone
  • trombnoe
  • tromboen
  • trombonne
  • trommbone
  • tromobne
  • trrombone
  • ttrombone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtombone2tormbone2trmobone2trobmone2trombbone1trombnoe2tromboen2trombonne1
Edit distance from "trombone"

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 "trombone"?
"trombone" is spelled T-R-O-M-B-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/.
What does "trombone" mean?
As a noun, "trombone" means: A musical instrument in the brass family, having a cylindrical bore, and usually a sliding tube (but sometimes piston valves, and rarely both). Most often refers to the tenor trombone, which is the...
What are common misspellings of "trombone"?
Common misspellings include "rtombone", "tormbone", "trmobone", "trobmone", "trombbone". The correct spelling is "trombone".
How do you pronounce "trombone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trombone" is /ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/. 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 "trombone"?
Borrowed from Italian trombone, from tromba (“trumpet”) + -one (augmentative), literally “large trumpet”. The telecommunications sense alludes to the shape of the musical instrument. 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 “trombone”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-R-O-M-B-O-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌtɹɒmˈbəʊn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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