turkey

/ˈtɜːki/

//ˈtɜːki// noun

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

"turkey" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“turkey” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,706 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,706
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The guinea fowl (family Numididae).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

turkey vs turned
67% similar
turkey vs turner
67% similar
turkey vs turret
67% similar

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

Key facts for turkey
PropertyValue
Headwordturkey
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜːki/
Letters6
Frequency rank#2,706
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “turkey” 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). turkey 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 turkey is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɜːki/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,706 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for turkey, with forms such as "trukey", "tturkey", and "tukrey". 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 9 confusable-pair relationships, "turned", "turner", "turret", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of turkey-cock and turkey-hen, originally denoting the guinea fowl, an African bird that was first imported to Europe through Turkey, but there is some controversy over the origin. The word was then transferred to the superficially similar North Am… The correct English form is turkey, spelled T-U-R-K-E-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The guinea fowl (family Numididae).
  2. 2
    A bird in the genus Meleagris with a fan-shaped tail and wattled neck.
  3. 3
    A bird in the genus Meleagris with a fan-shaped tail and wattled neck.
  4. 4
    The flesh or meat of this bird eaten as food.
  5. 5
    With a distinguishing word: a bird resembling the Meleagris gallopavo (for example, the brush turkey or bush turkey (Alectura lathami), and the water turkey (Anhinga anhinga)).
  6. 6
    An act of throwing three strikes in a row.
  7. 7
    A patient feigning symptoms; a person faking illness or injury; a malingerer.
  8. 8
    A pack carried by a lumberman; a bindle; also, a large travel bag, a suitcase.
  9. 9
    A failure.
  10. 10
    A foolish or inept person.
  11. 11
    A prostitute.

Etymology

Clipping of turkey-cock and turkey-hen, originally denoting the guinea fowl, an African bird that was first imported to Europe through Turkey, but there is some controversy over the origin. The word was then transferred to the superficially similar North American bird Meleagris gallopavo.

This word in other languages

pavo(Español)dinde(Français)Pute(Deutsch)peru(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: trukey,tturkey,tukrey,tureky,turkeyy,turkkey,turkye,turrkey,utrkey

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

trukey2tturkey1tukrey2tureky2turkeyy1turkkey1turkye2turrkey1
Edit distance from "turkey"

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 "turkey"?
"turkey" is spelled T-U-R-K-E-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜːki/.
What does "turkey" mean?
As a noun, "turkey" means: The guinea fowl (family Numididae).
What words are commonly confused with "turkey"?
"turkey" is commonly confused with "turned", "turner", "turret". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "turkey"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turkey" is /ˈtɜːki/. 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 "turkey"?
Clipping of turkey-cock and turkey-hen, originally denoting the guinea fowl, an African bird that was first imported to Europe through Turkey, but there is some controversy over the origin. The word was then transferred to the superficially simila... 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 “turkey”

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

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