backbone
/ˈbækˌboʊn/noun
backbone is spelled B-A-C-K-B-O-N-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, backbone means “The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of backbone is backbones.
How many letters and syllables are in backbone?
| Letters | 8: B-A-C-K-B-O-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 3.4 times per million words; the 14,307th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is backbone?
Backbone appears 3.4 times per million words in written English, the 14,307th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce backbone?
- UK /ˈbækˌbəʊn/
- US /ˈbækˌboʊn/
Backbone has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-backbone.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with backbone
Also written: back-bone (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of backbone
- backbones plural
- back bone
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does backbone mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The series of vertebrae, separated by disks, that encloses and protects the spinal cord, and runs down the middle of the back in vertebrate animals.
- 2
Any fundamental support, structure, or infrastructure.
Before automobiles, railroads were a backbone of commerce.
- 3
Courage, fortitude, or strength.
He would make a good manager, if he had a little more backbone.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Backbone in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | colonne vertébrale, rachis, épine dorsale , courage |
| German | Rückgrat, Wirbelsäule |
| Portuguese | coluna vertebral, espinha, espinha dorsal , firmeza , base |
| Spanish | espina dorsal, columna vertebral , coraje, carácter |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does backbone come from?
From Middle English bakbon, bakebon, bac-bon; equivalent to back + bone. Compare the semantically analogous English ridgebone.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).