# tumble

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtʌmbl̩/ · frequency rank #17,050

## Definitions
1. A fall, especially end over end.
2. A disorderly heap.
3. An act of sexual intercourse.

## Etymology
From Middle English tumblen (“to fall over and over again, tumble”), frequentative of Middle English tumben (“to fall, leap, dance”), from Old English tumbian, from Proto-Germanic *tūmōną (“to turn, rotate”). Cognate with Middle Dutch tumelen (whence Dutch tuimelen), Middle Low German tumelen, tummelen, German taumeln and Danish tumle.

## Easily confused with
- **turtle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-turtle)
- **tumblr** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tumblr)
- **Tuttle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tuttle)
- **tumult** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tumult)
- **tussle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tussle)
- **tumbled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tumbled)
- **tumbler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tumble-vs-tumbler)
- **tube** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tube-vs-tumble)
- **table** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/table-vs-tumble)
- **tulle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tulle-vs-tumble)
- **temple** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/temple-vs-tumble)
- **treble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/treble-vs-tumble)
- **timbre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/timbre-vs-tumble)
- **tremble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tremble-vs-tumble)
- **Trimble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/trimble-vs-tumble)

## Common misspellings (9)
`tmuble`, `ttumble`, `tubmle`, `tumbble`, `tumbel`, `tumblle`, `tumlbe`, `tummble`, `utmble`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tumble