Babylonian

/bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/

//bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən// adj

"babylonian" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Babylonian” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,459 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#28,459
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining to the city of Babylon, or the Babylonian Empire.

Key facts for Babylonian
PropertyValue
HeadwordBabylonian
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/
Letters10
Frequency rank#28,459
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Babylonian” 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). Babylonian 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 Babylonian is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,459 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for Babylonian, with forms such as "abbylonian", "babbylonian", and "bablyonian". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin Babylōnius (“of Babylon, Babylonian”) (from Ancient Greek Βαβυλώνιος (Babulṓnios)) + -an. By surface analysis, Babylon + -ian. Piecewise doublet of Babelian. The correct English form is Babylonian, spelled B-A-B-Y-L-O-N-I-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to the city of Babylon, or the Babylonian Empire.
  2. 2
    Roman Catholic (with reference to e.g. Revelation 14–18).
  3. 3
    Characteristic of Babylon or its civilization and inhabitants; huge, decadent, indulgent. .

Etymology

From Latin Babylōnius (“of Babylon, Babylonian”) (from Ancient Greek Βαβυλώνιος (Babulṓnios)) + -an. By surface analysis, Babylon + -ian. Piecewise doublet of Babelian.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbylonian,babbylonian,bablyonian,babyllonian,babylnoian,babyloinan,babylonain,babyloniann,babylonina,babylonnian,babyolnian,babyylonian,bayblonian,bbabylonian,bbaylonian

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Babylonian - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abbylonian2babbylonian1bablyonian2babyllonian1babylnoian2babyloinan2babylonain2babyloniann1
Edit distance from "Babylonian"

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 "Babylonian"?
"Babylonian" is spelled B-A-B-Y-L-O-N-I-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/.
What does "Babylonian" mean?
As an adjective, "Babylonian" means: Pertaining to the city of Babylon, or the Babylonian Empire.
What are common misspellings of "Babylonian"?
Common misspellings include "abbylonian", "babbylonian", "bablyonian", "babyllonian", "babylnoian". The correct spelling is "Babylonian".
How do you pronounce "Babylonian"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Babylonian" is /bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/. 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 "Babylonian"?
From Latin Babylōnius (“of Babylon, Babylonian”) (from Ancient Greek Βαβυλώνιος (Babulṓnios)) + -an. By surface analysis, Babylon + -ian. Piecewise doublet of Babelian. 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 “Babylonian”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-B-Y-L-O-N-I-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bæbɪˈləʊnɪ.ən/ (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