babysit

/ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/

//ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt// verb

"babysit" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“babysit” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,730. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,730
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money.

Key facts for babysit
PropertyValue
Headwordbabysit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#27,730
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “babysit” 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). babysit lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around babysit (IPA /ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #27,730 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for babysit, with forms such as "abbysit", "babbysit", and "babsyit". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from babysitter. The correct English form is babysit, spelled B-A-B-Y-S-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money.
  2. 2
    To watch or tend a thing or process without normally intervening in it, e.g. as a precaution should an emergency happen.
  3. 3
    To watch or attend anything or anyone more closely than ought to be needed; to have to help or coax too much.

Etymology

Back-formation from babysitter.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbysit,babbysit,babsyit,babyist,babysitt,babyssit,babysti,babyysit,baybsit,bbabysit,bbaysit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of babysit - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abbysit2babbysit1babsyit2babyist2babysitt1babyssit1babysti2babyysit1
Edit distance from "babysit"

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 "babysit"?
"babysit" is spelled B-A-B-Y-S-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/.
What does "babysit" mean?
As a verb, "babysit" means: To watch or tend someone else's child for a period of time, often for money.
What are common misspellings of "babysit"?
Common misspellings include "abbysit", "babbysit", "babsyit", "babyist", "babysitt". The correct spelling is "babysit".
How do you pronounce "babysit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "babysit" is /ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/. 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 "babysit"?
Back-formation from babysitter. 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 “babysit”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-B-Y-S-I-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbeɪ.bi.sɪt/ (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

Same frequency band

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