trunk

/tɹʌŋk/

//tɹʌŋk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“trunk” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,851 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,851
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Part of a body.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

trunk vs tun
60% similar
trunk vs tune
60% similar
trunk vs tuna
60% similar

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

Key facts for trunk
PropertyValue
Headwordtrunk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tɹʌŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,851
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “trunk” 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). trunk 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 trunk is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɹʌŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,851 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for trunk, with forms such as "rtunk", "trnuk", and "trrunk". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tun", "tune", "tuna", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tronke, trunke, from Old French tronc (“alms box, tree trunk, headless body”), from Latin truncus (“a stock, lopped tree trunk”), from truncus (“cut off, maimed, mutilated”). For the verb, compare French tronquer, and see truncate. Doubl… The correct English form is trunk, spelled T-R-U-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    Part of a body.
  2. 2
    Part of a body.
  3. 3
    Part of a body.
  4. 4
    A container.
  5. 5
    A container.
  6. 6
    A container.
  7. 7
    A container.
  8. 8
    A channel for flow of some kind.
  9. 9
    A channel for flow of some kind.
  10. 10
    A channel for flow of some kind.
  11. 11
    A channel for flow of some kind.
  12. 12
    A channel for flow of some kind.
  13. 13
    In software projects under source control: the most current source tree, from which the latest unstable builds (so-called "trunk builds") are compiled.
  14. 14
    The main line or body of anything.
  15. 15
    The main line or body of anything.
  16. 16
    The main line or body of anything.
  17. 17
    A large pipe forming the piston rod of a steam engine, of sufficient diameter to allow one end of the connecting rod to be attached to the crank, and the other end to pass within the pipe directly to the piston, thus making the engine more compact.
  18. 18
    Ellipsis of swimming trunks.

Etymology

From Middle English tronke, trunke, from Old French tronc (“alms box, tree trunk, headless body”), from Latin truncus (“a stock, lopped tree trunk”), from truncus (“cut off, maimed, mutilated”). For the verb, compare French tronquer, and see truncate. Doublet of truncus and tronk.

This word in other languages

tronco(Español)tronc(Français)Stamm(Deutsch)baú(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: rtunk,trnuk,trrunk,trukn,trunkk,trunnk,ttrunk,turnk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

rtunk2trnuk2trrunk1trukn2trunkk1trunnk1ttrunk1turnk2
Edit distance from "trunk"

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 "trunk"?
"trunk" is spelled T-R-U-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /tɹʌŋk/.
What does "trunk" mean?
As a noun, "trunk" means: Part of a body.
What words are commonly confused with "trunk"?
"trunk" is commonly confused with "tun", "tune", "tuna". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "trunk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "trunk" is /tɹʌŋk/. 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 "trunk"?
From Middle English tronke, trunke, from Old French tronc (“alms box, tree trunk, headless body”), from Latin truncus (“a stock, lopped tree trunk”), from truncus (“cut off, maimed, mutilated”). For the verb, compare French tronquer, and see trunc... 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 “trunk”

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

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