tuning fork

/tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/

//tjʉːnɪŋ foːk// noun

"tuning-fork" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tuning fork” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fork-shaped object which emits a tone of a specific frequency when struck, producing a reference note for tuning instruments.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tuning-fork · tuning fork · English

tuning fork · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "T" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for tuning fork
PropertyValue
Headwordtuning fork
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “tuning fork” in English

tuning forkfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

tuning fork is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A fork-shaped object which emits a tone of a specific frequency when struck, producing a reference note for tuning instruments.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for tuning fork in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is tuning fork, spelled T-U-N-I-N-G- -F-O-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fork-shaped object which emits a tone of a specific frequency when struck, producing a reference note for tuning instruments.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "tuning fork"?
"tuning fork" is spelled T-U-N-I-N-G- -F-O-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/.
What does "tuning fork" mean?
As a noun, "tuning fork" means: A fork-shaped object which emits a tone of a specific frequency when struck, producing a reference note for tuning instruments.
How do you pronounce "tuning fork"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tuning fork" is /tjʉːnɪŋ foːk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "tuning fork" come from?
"tuning fork" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list