turnip

/ˈtɜː.nɪp/

//ˈtɜː.nɪp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“turnip” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,562. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,562
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.

Corpus desk

Index EN-turnip · turnip · English

turnip · rank #35,562 · 9 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,562
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tuba

Nearest frequency peer: tuba (-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 “turnip”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “turnip” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

turnip vs turns
67% similar
turnip vs turn
67% similar
turnip vs trip
67% similar

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

Key facts for turnip
PropertyValue
Headwordturnip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜː.nɪp/
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,562
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “turnip”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).turniplands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “tuba” (#35,561), “tryna” (#35,560), “twofold” (#35,564). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “turnip” is #35,562. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around turnip (IPA /ˈtɜː.nɪp/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,562 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for turnip, with forms such as "trunip", "tturnip", and "tunrip". 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. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "turns", "turn", "trip", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harveste… The correct English form is turnip, spelled T-U-R-N-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
  2. 2
    The yellow root of a related plant, the swede or Brassica napus.
  3. 3
    The white root of Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, also known as a daikon.
  4. 4
    The root of the yam bean, Pachyrhizus erosus; jicama.
  5. 5
    Clipping of turnip watch
  6. 6
    A fool or simpleton.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how turnip appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The ancient Roman gastronomists considered the turnip, when prepared in the following manner, a dish fit for epicures: "After boiling, extract the water from them, and season with cummin, rue, or benzoin, pounded in a mortar; afterward add honey, vinegar, gravy, and boiled grapes. Allow the whole to simmer, and serve."
  2. In general, beets, carrots, and turnips are all of aphrodisiac value in erotic dietary.

Etymology

From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to be harvested. Cognate to neep. See also parsnip.

Synonyms

summer turnipwhite turniprutabagaswedetumshiedaikon

This word in other languages

nabo(Español)navet(Français)nabo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • trunip
  • tturnip
  • tunrip
  • turinp
  • turnipp
  • turnnip
  • turnpi
  • turrnip
  • utrnip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

trunip2tturnip1tunrip2turinp2turnipp1turnnip1turnpi2turrnip1
Edit distance from "turnip"

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 "turnip"?
"turnip" is spelled T-U-R-N-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜː.nɪp/.
What does "turnip" mean?
As a noun, "turnip" means: The white root of a yellow-flowered plant, Brassica rapa, grown as a vegetable and as fodder for cattle.
What words are commonly confused with "turnip"?
"turnip" is commonly confused with "turns", "turn", "trip". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "turnip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turnip" is /ˈtɜː.nɪp/. 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 "turnip"?
From Middle English turnepe, probably from turn + Middle English nepe, from Old English nǣp, from Latin nāpus. The component turn may be due to the round shape of the plant as though turned on a lathe, or because it must be turned and twisted to b... 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 "turnip", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

stoker#35,537sombre#35,523Shiraz#35,513Shiite#35,512

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

weeding9 variantsairfare9 variantsBoland9 variantsBorges9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list