turmeric

/ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/

//ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk// noun

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

"turmeric" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“turmeric” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,330. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,330
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).

Corpus desk

Index EN-turmeric · turmeric · English

turmeric · rank #34,330 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #34,330
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH turbocharged

Nearest frequency peer: turbocharged (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “turmeric”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “turmeric” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for turmeric
PropertyValue
Headwordturmeric
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#34,330
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “turmeric”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).turmericlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “turbocharged” (#34,329), “unchallenged” (#34,331), “Trotsky” (#34,328). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “turmeric” is #34,330. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around turmeric (IPA /ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,330 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for turmeric, with forms such as "trumeric", "tturmeric", and "tumreric". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic. The correct English form is turmeric, spelled T-U-R-M-E-R-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
  2. 2
    The pulverized rhizome of the turmeric plant, used for flavoring and to add a bright yellow color to food.
  3. 3
    A yellow to reddish-brown dye extracted from the turmeric plant.

Etymology

From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic.

This word in other languages

cúrcuma(Español)curcuma(Français)Kurkuma(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • trumeric
  • tturmeric
  • tumreric
  • turemric
  • turmeirc
  • turmerci
  • turmericc
  • turmerric
  • turmmeric
  • turmreic
  • turrmeric
  • utrmeric

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

trumeric2tturmeric1tumreric2turemric2turmeirc2turmerci2turmericc1turmerric1
Edit distance from "turmeric"

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 "turmeric"?
"turmeric" is spelled T-U-R-M-E-R-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/.
What does "turmeric" mean?
As a noun, "turmeric" means: An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
What are common misspellings of "turmeric"?
Common misspellings include "trumeric", "tturmeric", "tumreric", "turemric", "turmeirc". The correct spelling is "turmeric".
How do you pronounce "turmeric"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turmeric" is /ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/. 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 "turmeric"?
From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic. 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 "turmeric", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Tompkins#34,321spoonful#34,297shelving#34,282shearing#34,281

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Trotsky12 variantsseething12 variantssavagery12 variantsberyllium12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list