Bar code or barcode?
bar code is a noun meaning “Alternative spelling of barcode”; barcode is a noun meaning “Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in…”. Wiktionary gives them as spellings of the same word. bar code is written as two words and barcode as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between bar code and barcode?
| bar code | barcode | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb | noun, verb |
| Meaning | Alternative spelling of barcode | Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology A portion of a gene that identifies a particular species To apply a barcode (machine-readable code) to |
| Example | none recorded | none recorded |
| Forms | none | barcodes |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ˈbɑː.kəʊd/ /ˈbɑɹ.koʊd/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 1 million words |
Sources: bar code and barcode in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of bar code and barcode
bar code
- 1
Alternative spelling of barcode
- 2
Alternative spelling of barcode
barcode
- 1
Any set of machine-readable parallel bars or concentric circles, varying in width, spacing, or height, encoding information according to a symbology
- 2
To apply a barcode (machine-readable code) to
- 3
A portion of a gene that identifies a particular species
- 4
slangAn instance of self-harm, typically with multiple parallel cuts along a line, similar in form to a machine barcode
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, bar code or barcode?
bar code is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; barcode about once in every 1 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search bar code vs barcode?
“bar code vs barcode” is searched about 10 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“barcode vs bar code”, “bar code or barcode”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.