tuft

/tʌft/

//tʌft// noun

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

"tuft" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tuft” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,682 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#49,682
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tuft vs tug
50% similar
tuft vs tum
50% similar
tuft vs tun
50% similar

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

Key facts for tuft
PropertyValue
Headwordtuft
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tʌft/
Letters4
Frequency rank#49,682
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tuft” 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). tuft 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 tuft is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tʌft/. Corpus data places it at rank #49,682 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tuft, with forms such as "tfut", "ttuft", and "tufft". 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, "tug", "tum", "tun", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tuft, toft, tofte, an alteration of earlier *tuffe (> Modern English tuff), from Old French touffe, tuffe, toffe, tofe (“tuft”) (modern French touffe), from Late Latin tufa (“helmet crest”) (near Vegezio). Compare Old English þūf (“tuft”… The correct English form is tuft, spelled T-U-F-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base.
  2. 2
    A cluster of threads drawn tightly through upholstery, a mattress or a quilt, etc., to secure and strengthen the padding.
  3. 3
    A small clump of trees or bushes.
  4. 4
    A gold tassel on the cap worn by titled undergraduates at English universities.
  5. 5
    A person entitled to wear such a tassel.

Etymology

From Middle English tuft, toft, tofte, an alteration of earlier *tuffe (> Modern English tuff), from Old French touffe, tuffe, toffe, tofe (“tuft”) (modern French touffe), from Late Latin tufa (“helmet crest”) (near Vegezio). Compare Old English þūf (“tuft”), Old Norse þúfa (“mound”), Swedish tuva (“tussock; grassy hillock”), Swedish tova (“tangled knot”), Swedish tofs (“tuft, tassel”), from Proto-Germanic *þūbǭ (“tube”), *þūbaz; akin to Latin tūber (“hump, swelling”), Ancient Greek τῡ́φη (tū́phē, “cattail (used to stuff beds)”).

This word in other languages

mechón(Español)touffe(Français)Büschel(Deutsch)tufo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: tfut,ttuft,tufft,tuftt,tutf,utft

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

tfut2ttuft1tufft1tuftt1tutf2utft2
Edit distance from "tuft"

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 "tuft"?
"tuft" is spelled T-U-F-T. The IPA pronunciation is /tʌft/.
What does "tuft" mean?
As a noun, "tuft" means: A bunch of feathers, grass or hair, etc., held together at the base.
What words are commonly confused with "tuft"?
"tuft" is commonly confused with "tug", "tum", "tun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tuft"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tuft" is /tʌft/. 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 "tuft"?
From Middle English tuft, toft, tofte, an alteration of earlier *tuffe (> Modern English tuff), from Old French touffe, tuffe, toffe, tofe (“tuft”) (modern French touffe), from Late Latin tufa (“helmet crest”) (near Vegezio). Compare Old English þ... 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 “tuft”

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

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