backstab
/ˈbækˌstæb/
"backstab" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“backstab” is uncommon English (frequency #91,261 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- #91,261
- frequency rank, English
- 31,241
- “B” headwords
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To attack someone (especially verbally) unfairly in a deceitful, underhand, or treacherous manner, especially when they're not present in the place or situation that it happens.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | backstab |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˈbækˌstæb/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #91,261 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “backstab” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
backstab is uncommon English at frequency #91,261 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈbækˌstæb/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To attack someone (especially verbally) unfairly in a deceitful, underhand, or treacherous manner, especially when they're not present in the place or situation that it happens.".
backstab doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, 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 + stab. The correct English form is backstab, spelled B-A-C-K-S-T-A-B.
Definition
- 1To attack someone (especially verbally) unfairly in a deceitful, underhand, or treacherous manner, especially when they're not present in the place or situation that it happens.
Etymology
From back + stab.
This word in other languages
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.
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Using “backstab”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-C-K-S-T-A-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈbækˌstæb/ (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
Other uncommon English words near this rank
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.