tutu

/ˈtutu/

//ˈtutu// noun

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

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

The verdict

“tutu” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,409. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,409
frequency rank, English
3,151
“T” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.

Corpus desk

Index EN-tutu · tutu · English

tutu · rank #28,409 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,409
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,151
  • PHOTO-FINISH Tuscan

Nearest frequency peer: Tuscan (-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 “tutu”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “tutu” 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).

tutu vs tux
50% similar
tutu vs Tu
25% similar
tutu vs TT
0% similar

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

Key facts for tutu
PropertyValue
Headwordtutu
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈtutu/
Letters4
Frequency rank#28,409
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “tutu”

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).tutulands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Tuscan” (#28,408), “umbilical” (#28,411), “unhinged” (#28,412). Among 3,151 “T” headwords, “tutu” is #28,409. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around tutu (IPA /ˈtutu/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,409 among 3,151 “T” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for tutu, with forms such as "ttutu", "ttuu", and "tuttu". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "tux", "Tu", "TT", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French tutu, from cucu (“bum, bottom”), playful reduplication of cul (“arse”). The correct English form is tutu, spelled T-U-T-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The ballet dancer representing the swan wore a white tutu.

Etymology

Borrowed from French tutu, from cucu (“bum, bottom”), playful reduplication of cul (“arse”).

This word in other languages

tutú(Español)tutu(Français)Tutu(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ttutu
  • ttuu
  • tuttu
  • tuut
  • uttu

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ttutu1ttuu2tuttu1tuut2uttu2
Edit distance from "tutu"

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 "tutu"?
"tutu" is spelled T-U-T-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈtutu/.
What does "tutu" mean?
As a noun, "tutu" means: A ballet skirt made of layered stiff but light netting.
What words are commonly confused with "tutu"?
"tutu" is commonly confused with "tux", "Tu", "TT". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "tutu"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tutu" is /ˈtutu/. 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 "tutu"?
Borrowed from French tutu, from cucu (“bum, bottom”), playful reduplication of cul (“arse”). 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 "tutu", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

veer#28,420Winn#28,429Soto#28,379soot#28,377

Similar misspelling depth

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

amit5 variantsSato5 variantspied5 variantscray5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list