turnpike

/ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/

//ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“turnpike” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,138. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,138
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A frame consisting of two bars crossing each other at right angles and turning on a post or pin, to hinder the passage of animals, but admitting a person to pass between the arms.

Corpus desk

Index EN-turnpike · turnpike · English

turnpike · rank #23,138 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,138
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH tulip

Nearest frequency peer: tulip (-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 “turnpike”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “turnpike” 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 turnpike
PropertyValue
Headwordturnpike
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#23,138
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “turnpike”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “tulip” (#23,137), “UD” (#23,139), “tripod” (#23,136). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “turnpike” is #23,138. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around turnpike (IPA /ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,138 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for turnpike, with forms such as "trunpike", "tturnpike", and "tunrpike". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English turnpyke (“spiked barrier across a road”), originally used to block access to such a road until a toll was paid. Equivalent to modern turn + pike (“shaft”). The correct English form is turnpike, spelled T-U-R-N-P-I-K-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A frame consisting of two bars crossing each other at right angles and turning on a post or pin, to hinder the passage of animals, but admitting a person to pass between the arms.
  2. 2
    A gate or bar set across a road to stop carriages, animals, and sometimes people, until a toll is paid.
  3. 3
    A winding stairway.
  4. 4
    A beam filled with spikes to obstruct passage; a cheval de frise.
  5. 5
    A toll road, especially a toll expressway.
  6. 6
    A trajectory on a finite time interval that satisfies an optimality criterion which is associated with a cost function.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1626, Ben Jonson, The Staple of News, Act III, Scene 1, Yale Studies in English Vol. 28, New York: Henry Holt, 1905, p. 58, I moue vpon my axell, like a turne-pike, / Fit my face to the parties, and become / Straight one of them.
  2. 1722, Daniel Defoe, A Journal of the Plague Year, London: E. Nutt et al., pp. 9-10, […] it was rumour’d that an order of the Government was to be issued out, to place Turn-pikes and Barriers on the Road, to prevent Peoples travelling;

Etymology

From Middle English turnpyke (“spiked barrier across a road”), originally used to block access to such a road until a toll was paid. Equivalent to modern turn + pike (“shaft”).

This word in other languages

Mautstraße(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • trunpike
  • tturnpike
  • tunrpike
  • turnipke
  • turnnpike
  • turnpiek
  • turnpikke
  • turnpkie
  • turnppike
  • turpnike
  • turrnpike
  • utrnpike

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of turnpike - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

trunpike2tturnpike1tunrpike2turnipke2turnnpike1turnpiek2turnpikke1turnpkie2
Edit distance from "turnpike"

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 "turnpike"?
"turnpike" is spelled T-U-R-N-P-I-K-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/.
What does "turnpike" mean?
As a noun, "turnpike" means: A frame consisting of two bars crossing each other at right angles and turning on a post or pin, to hinder the passage of animals, but admitting a person to pass between the arms.
What are common misspellings of "turnpike"?
Common misspellings include "trunpike", "tturnpike", "tunrpike", "turnipke", "turnnpike". The correct spelling is "turnpike".
How do you pronounce "turnpike"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "turnpike" is /ˈtɜː(ɹ)npaɪk/. 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 "turnpike"?
From Middle English turnpyke (“spiked barrier across a road”), originally used to block access to such a road until a toll was paid. Equivalent to modern turn + pike (“shaft”). 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 "turnpike", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

unloaded#23,147terminus#23,126waterway#23,153absentee#23,160

Similar misspelling depth

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

admirers12 variantssleepless12 variantssadistic12 variantsnativity12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list