tule

/ˈtuːli/

//ˈtuːli// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tule” is uncommon English (frequency #80,063 among 3,151 “T” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#80,063
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of a number of large freshwater sedges of western North America formerly classified in the genus Scirpus, but now mostly as Schoenoplectus

Corpus desk

Index EN-tule · tule · English

tule · rank #80,063 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #80,063
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tsundere

Nearest frequency peer: tsundere (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “tule”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “tule” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for tule
PropertyValue
Headwordtule
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtuːli/
Letters4
Frequency rank#80,063
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tule” sits in English frequency

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).tulelands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “tsundere” (#80,062), “tsun” (#80,061), “Tsao” (#80,060). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tule is uncommon English at frequency #80,063 among 3,151 “T” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtuːli/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for tule in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish tule, from Classical Nahuatl tōllin (“bulrush, sedge”). The correct English form is tule, spelled T-U-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of a number of large freshwater sedges of western North America formerly classified in the genus Scirpus, but now mostly as Schoenoplectus
  2. 2
    A type of chinook salmon which spawns in the Columbia River basin

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. This consisted of a two-room house built of chittim poles, with no floor, a thatched roof of tules, and a windbreak of buffalo and cowhides to the north of it.

Etymology

From Spanish tule, from Classical Nahuatl tōllin (“bulrush, sedge”).

Synonyms

common tulehardstem tuletule rushhardstem bulrushviscid bulrush

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 "tule"?
"tule" is spelled T-U-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtuːli/.
What does "tule" mean?
As a noun, "tule" means: Any of a number of large freshwater sedges of western North America formerly classified in the genus Scirpus, but now mostly as Schoenoplectus
How do you pronounce "tule"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tule" is /ˈtuːli/. 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 "tule"?
From Spanish tule, from Classical Nahuatl tōllin (“bulrush, sedge”). 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 "tule", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

tsun#80,061Tsao#80,060tyke#80,071susu#80,022

What to do next

You've looked up "tule". Here's where to go from here.

  • Usage frequency rank #80,063 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "T" letter cohort. T–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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