# twit

> English word · Verb · IPA /twɪt/ · frequency rank #40,062

## Definitions
1. To blame or reproach (someone), especially in a good-natured or teasing manner; also, to ridicule or tease (someone).
2. To criticize or disapprove of (something), especially in a good-natured or teasing manner.
3. To ignore or kill file (a user on a bulletin board system).
4. Followed by it: to speak or write (something) in a taunting or teasing manner.
5. To blame or reproach, especially in a good-natured or teasing manner.
6. To be indiscreet; to gossip.

## Etymology
PIE word
 *h₂éd
The verb is an apheretic form of atwite (“(obsolete) to blame, reproach”), from Middle English atwiten (“to attribute (something) to someone; to blame (something) on someone; to accuse or charge (someone) with something; to speak ill of; to taunt”), from Old English ætwītan (“to blame, reproach; to censure, upbraid; to taunt”), from æt- (prefix meaning ‘at, near; toward’) + wītan (“to accuse; to blame, reproach”) (from Proto-Germanic *wītaną (“to punish; to torment; to know; to see”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyd- (“to see”)). Piecewise doublet of advise.
The noun is probably derived from the verb, although it is attested in print earlier.

## Easily confused with
- **two** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/twit-vs-two)
- **twp** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/twit-vs-twp)
- **twos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/twit-vs-twos)
- **twitch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/twit-vs-twitch)
- **ti** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ti-vs-twit)
- **TT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tt-vs-twit)
- **tip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tip-vs-twit)
- **tie** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tie-vs-twit)
- **Tim** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tim-vs-twit)
- **tin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tin-vs-twit)
- **tri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tri-vs-twit)
- **tai** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tai-vs-twit)
- **tit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tit-vs-twit)
- **tat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tat-vs-twit)
- **TNT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tnt-vs-twit)
- **tic** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tic-vs-twit)
- **Tia** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tia-vs-twit)
- **Thi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/thi-vs-twit)
- **tot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tot-vs-twit)
- **tut** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/tut-vs-twit)

## Common misspellings (5)
`tiwt`, `ttwit`, `twitt`, `twti`, `twwit`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/twit