turmoil
/ˈtɜːmɔɪl/
"turmoil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“turmoil” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #14,657 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #14,657
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A state of great disorder or uncertainty.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | turmoil |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #14,657 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “turmoil” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for turmoil is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/. Corpus data places it at rank #14,657 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for turmoil, with forms such as "trumoil", "tturmoil", and "tumroil". 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 confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. First appears c. 1526. Perhaps from Old French tremouille (“the hopper of a mill”). The correct English form is turmoil, spelled T-U-R-M-O-I-L.
Definition
- 1A state of great disorder or uncertainty.
- 2Harassing labor; trouble; disturbance.
Etymology
Unknown. First appears c. 1526. Perhaps from Old French tremouille (“the hopper of a mill”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: trumoil,tturmoil,tumroil,turmiol,turmmoil,turmoill,turmoli,turomil,turrmoil,utrmoil
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of turmoil - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 "turmoil"?
What does "turmoil" mean?
What are common misspellings of "turmoil"?
How do you pronounce "turmoil"?
What is the origin of the word "turmoil"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “turmoil”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-U-R-M-O-I-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.