bacillus

/bæˈsɪl.əs/

//bæˈsɪl.əs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

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

The verdict

“bacillus” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,520. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,520
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming aerobic bacteria in the genus Bacillus, some of which cause disease.

Key facts for bacillus
PropertyValue
Headwordbacillus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bæˈsɪl.əs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#41,520
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bacillus” 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). bacillus 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 10 spelling variants around bacillus (IPA /bæˈsɪl.əs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,520 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for bacillus, with forms such as "abcillus", "baccillus", and "bacillsu". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”). The correct English form is bacillus, spelled B-A-C-I-L-L-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming aerobic bacteria in the genus Bacillus, some of which cause disease.
  2. 2
    Any bacilliform (rod-shaped) bacterium.
  3. 3
    Something which spreads like bacterial infection.

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”).

This word in other languages

bacilo(Español)bacille(Français)Bazillus(Deutsch)bacilo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abcillus
  • baccillus
  • bacillsu
  • bacilluss
  • baciluls
  • bacilus
  • baclilus
  • baicllus
  • bbacillus
  • bcaillus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bacillus - 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.

abcillus2baccillus1bacillsu2bacilluss1baciluls2bacilus1baclilus2baicllus2
Edit distance from "bacillus"

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 "bacillus"?
"bacillus" is spelled B-A-C-I-L-L-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /bæˈsɪl.əs/.
What does "bacillus" mean?
As a noun, "bacillus" means: Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming aerobic bacteria in the genus Bacillus, some of which cause disease.
What are common misspellings of "bacillus"?
Common misspellings include "abcillus", "baccillus", "bacillsu", "bacilluss", "baciluls". The correct spelling is "bacillus".
How do you pronounce "bacillus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bacillus" is /bæˈsɪl.əs/. 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 "bacillus"?
Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”). 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 “bacillus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-C-I-L-L-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bæˈsɪl.əs/ (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