tusk

/ˈtʌsk/

//ˈtʌsk// noun

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

"tusk" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“tusk” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #31,017 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#31,017
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

tusk vs tut
50% similar
tusk vs tux
50% similar
tusk vs tutu
50% similar

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

Key facts for tusk
PropertyValue
Headwordtusk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtʌsk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#31,017
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tusk” 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). tusk 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 tusk is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈtʌsk/. Corpus data places it at rank #31,017 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for tusk, with forms such as "tsuk", "ttusk", and "tuks". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tut", "tux", "tutu", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English tusk (also tux, tusch), from Old English tūx, tūsc (“canine tooth, tusk, molar”), from Proto-West Germanic *tų̄sk, *tunsk, from Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz (“canine tooth”), extended form of *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dón… The correct English form is tusk, spelled T-U-S-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.
  2. 2
    A small projection on a (tusk) tenon.
  3. 3
    A tusk shell.
  4. 4
    A projecting member like a tenon, and serving the same or a similar purpose, but composed of several steps, or offsets, called teeth.
  5. 5
    A sharp point.
  6. 6
    The share of a plough.

Etymology

From Middle English tusk (also tux, tusch), from Old English tūx, tūsc (“canine tooth, tusk, molar”), from Proto-West Germanic *tų̄sk, *tunsk, from Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz (“canine tooth”), extended form of *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tusk (“tooth”), West Frisian tosk (“tooth”), Icelandic toskur (“a tusk, tooth”) (whence the Old Norse and Icelandic Ratatoskr and Ratatoskur respectively), Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃 (tunþus, “tooth”) and *𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹 (*tundi, “thorn, tooth”). Doublet of tush. More at tooth.

This word in other languages

colmillo(Español)défense(Français)Stoßzahn(Deutsch)presa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: tsuk,ttusk,tuks,tuskk,tussk,utsk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of tusk - 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.

tsuk2ttusk1tuks2tuskk1tussk1utsk2
Edit distance from "tusk"

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 "tusk"?
"tusk" is spelled T-U-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtʌsk/.
What does "tusk" mean?
As a noun, "tusk" means: One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.
What words are commonly confused with "tusk"?
"tusk" is commonly confused with "tut", "tux", "tutu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tusk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tusk" is /ˈtʌsk/. 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 "tusk"?
From Middle English tusk (also tux, tusch), from Old English tūx, tūsc (“canine tooth, tusk, molar”), from Proto-West Germanic *tų̄sk, *tunsk, from Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz (“canine tooth”), extended form of *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-Europ... 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 “tusk”

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

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