tympanic

/tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/

//tɪmˈpæn.ɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“tympanic” is an uncommon English word, ranked #84,851 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#84,851
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of, relating to, or resembling a drum.

Key facts for tympanic
PropertyValue
Headwordtympanic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#84,851
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “tympanic” 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). tympanic 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 tympanic is 8 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #84,851 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for tympanic in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From tympanum + -ic. The correct English form is tympanic, spelled T-Y-M-P-A-N-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of, relating to, or resembling a drum.
  2. 2
    Relating to the tympanum, eardrum or middle ear.
  3. 3
    Resonant.

Etymology

From tympanum + -ic.

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 "tympanic"?
"tympanic" is spelled T-Y-M-P-A-N-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/.
What does "tympanic" mean?
As an adjective, "tympanic" means: Of, relating to, or resembling a drum.
How do you pronounce "tympanic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "tympanic" is /tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/. 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 "tympanic"?
From tympanum + -ic. 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 “tympanic”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is T-Y-M-P-A-N-I-C - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /tɪmˈpæn.ɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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