background
/ˈbæk(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/
"background" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“background” has 16 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #1,744. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #1,744
- frequency rank, English
- 31,241
- “B” headwords
- 16
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | background |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˈbæk(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #1,744 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “background” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 16 spelling variants around background (IPA /ˈbæk(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #1,744 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.".
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for background, with forms such as "abckground", "bacckground", and "bacgkround". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From back + ground. Compare backstory. The correct English form is background, spelled B-A-C-K-G-R-O-U-N-D.
Definition
- 1Less important or less noticeable in a scene or system.
Etymology
From back + ground. Compare backstory.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- abckground
- bacckground
- bacgkround
- backgground
- backgorund
- backgronud
- backgroudn
- backgroundd
- backgrounnd
- backgrround
- backgruond
- backkground
- backrgound
- bakcground
- bbackground
- bcakground
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of background - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "background"?
What does "background" mean?
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Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “background”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-C-K-G-R-O-U-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈbæk(ɡ)ɹaʊnd/ (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.