umpteenth

/ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/

//ˈʌmp.tiːnθ// adj

"umpteenth" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“umpteenth” is uncommon English (frequency #61,185 among 23,789 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#61,185
frequency rank, English
23,789
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Occurring in a relatively large but unspecified position in a sequence.

Key facts for umpteenth
PropertyValue
Headwordumpteenth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#61,185
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “umpteenth” 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). umpteenth lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

umpteenth is uncommon English at frequency #61,185 among 23,789 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Occurring in a relatively large but unspecified position in a sequence.".

umpteenth has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From umpteen + -th. The correct English form is umpteenth, spelled U-M-P-T-E-E-N-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Occurring in a relatively large but unspecified position in a sequence.

Etymology

From umpteen + -th.

This word in other languages

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 "umpteenth"?
"umpteenth" is spelled U-M-P-T-E-E-N-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/.
What does "umpteenth" mean?
As an adjective, "umpteenth" means: Occurring in a relatively large but unspecified position in a sequence.
How do you pronounce "umpteenth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umpteenth" is /ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/. 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 "umpteenth"?
From umpteen + -th. 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 “umpteenth”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is U-M-P-T-E-E-N-T-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʌmp.tiːnθ/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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