tunic

/ˈtjuːnɪk/

//ˈtjuːnɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tunic” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,288 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#26,288
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tunic vs Turin
40% similar
tunic vs Tunis
60% similar
tunic vs tuning
67% similar

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

Key facts for tunic
PropertyValue
Headwordtunic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtjuːnɪk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#26,288
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tunic” 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). tunic 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 tunic is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtjuːnɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,288 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for tunic, with forms such as "tnuic", "ttunic", and "tuinc". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Turin", "Tunis", "tuning", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Middle French tunique, from Latin tunica, possibly from Semitic (compare Aramaic [script needed] (kittuna), Hebrew כותנת (kuttoneth, “coat”), English chiton); or from Etruscan. Existed in Old English as tunece; unknown if that term was lost an… The correct English form is tunic, spelled T-U-N-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.
  2. 2
    Any covering, such as seed coat or the organ that covers a membrane.
  3. 3
    Synonym of gymslip.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French tunique, from Latin tunica, possibly from Semitic (compare Aramaic [script needed] (kittuna), Hebrew כותנת (kuttoneth, “coat”), English chiton); or from Etruscan. Existed in Old English as tunece; unknown if that term was lost and then reborrowed later. Doublet of tunica.

This word in other languages

túnica(Español)tunique(Français)Tunika(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: tnuic,ttunic,tuinc,tunci,tunicc,tunnic,utnic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tunic - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

tnuic2ttunic1tuinc2tunci2tunicc1tunnic1utnic2
Edit distance from "tunic"

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 "tunic"?
"tunic" is spelled T-U-N-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtjuːnɪk/.
What does "tunic" mean?
As a noun, "tunic" means: A garment worn over the torso, with or without sleeves, and of various lengths reaching from the hips to the ankles.
What words are commonly confused with "tunic"?
"tunic" is commonly confused with "Turin", "Tunis", "tuning". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tunic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tunic" is /ˈtjuːnɪk/. 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 "tunic"?
Borrowed from Middle French tunique, from Latin tunica, possibly from Semitic (compare Aramaic [script needed] (kittuna), Hebrew כותנת (kuttoneth, “coat”), English chiton); or from Etruscan. Existed in Old English as tunece; unknown if that term w... 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 “tunic”

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

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