bachelor

/ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/

//ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)// noun

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

The verdict

“bachelor” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,418 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,418
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person, especially a man, who is socially regarded as able to marry, but has not yet.

Key facts for bachelor
PropertyValue
Headwordbachelor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#7,418
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bachelor” 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). bachelor 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 bachelor is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,418 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for bachelor, with forms such as "abchelor", "bacchelor", and "bacehlor". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bacheler, from Anglo-Norman and Old French bacheler (modern French bachelier), from Medieval Latin baccalārius, baccalāris (compare Tuscan baccalare (“squire”)). The correct English form is bachelor, spelled B-A-C-H-E-L-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person, especially a man, who is socially regarded as able to marry, but has not yet.
  2. 2
    The first or lowest academic degree conferred by colleges and universities; a bachelor's degree.
  3. 3
    Someone who has achieved a bachelor's degree.
  4. 4
    A bachelor apartment.
  5. 5
    An unmarried woman.
  6. 6
    A knight who had no standard of his own, but fought under the standard of another in the field.
  7. 7
    Among London tradesmen, a junior member not yet admitted to wear the livery.
  8. 8
    A kind of bass, an edible freshwater fish (Pomoxis annularis) of the southern United States.

Etymology

From Middle English bacheler, from Anglo-Norman and Old French bacheler (modern French bachelier), from Medieval Latin baccalārius, baccalāris (compare Tuscan baccalare (“squire”)).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abchelor,bacchelor,bacehlor,bachellor,bachelorr,bachelro,bacheolr,bachhelor,bachleor,bahcelor,bbachelor,bcahelor

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bachelor - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abchelor2bacchelor1bacehlor2bachellor1bachelorr1bachelro2bacheolr2bachhelor1
Edit distance from "bachelor"

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 "bachelor"?
"bachelor" is spelled B-A-C-H-E-L-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/.
What does "bachelor" mean?
As a noun, "bachelor" means: A person, especially a man, who is socially regarded as able to marry, but has not yet.
What are common misspellings of "bachelor"?
Common misspellings include "abchelor", "bacchelor", "bacehlor", "bachellor", "bachelorr". The correct spelling is "bachelor".
How do you pronounce "bachelor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bachelor" is /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/. 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 "bachelor"?
From Middle English bacheler, from Anglo-Norman and Old French bacheler (modern French bachelier), from Medieval Latin baccalārius, baccalāris (compare Tuscan baccalare (“squire”)). 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 “bachelor”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-C-H-E-L-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbæt͡ʃ.ə.lə(ɹ)/ (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