badge
/bæd͡ʒ/noun, verb
badge is spelled B-A-D-G-E: 5 letters and one syllable. It appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, badge means “A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one’s clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of badge is badges.
How many letters and syllables are in badge?
| Letters | 5: B-A-D-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 10 times per million words; the 6,884th 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 badge?
Badge appears 10 times per million words in written English, the 6,884th 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 badge?
- /bæd͡ʒ/
Badge has one syllable (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: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-badge.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of badge
- badges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- badging participle, present
- badged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does badge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A distinctive mark, token, sign, emblem or cognizance, worn on one’s clothing, as an insignia of some rank, or of the membership of an organization.
the badge of a society; the badge of a policeman
- 2
A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.
- 3
A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.
- 4
Something characteristic; a mark; a token.
- 5
obsoleteA brand on the hand of a thief, etc.
He has got his badge, and piked.
- 6
A carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one.
- 7
A distinctive mark worn by servants, retainers, and followers of royalty or nobility, who, being beneath the rank of gentlemen, have no right to armorial bearings.
- 8
A small overlay on an icon that shows additional information about that item, such as the number of new alerts or messages.
verb
- 1
To mark or distinguish with a badge.
The television was badged as ‘GE’, but wasn’t made by them.
- 2
To show a badge to.
He calmed down a lot when the policeman badged him.
- 3
To enter a restricted area by showing one’s badge.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Badge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | plaque, insigne, décoration, macaron , porte-nom, badge |
| German | Abzeichen , Namensschild |
| Portuguese | distintivo, crachá , tarja , marca |
| Spanish | piocha, placa, distintivo, charola, chapa , gafete |
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 badge come from?
From Middle English badge, bagge, bage, bagy, from Anglo-Norman bage or Medieval Latin bagea, bagia (“sign, emblem”), of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from Medieval Latin baga (“ring”), from Old Saxon bāg, bōg (“ring, ornament”), from Proto-Germanic *baugaz (“ring, bracelet, armband”); or possibly the Anglo-Norman word is derived from an earlier, unattested English word (compare Old English bēag (“ring, bracelet, collar, crown”). Cognate with Scots bagie, badgie, bawgy (“badge”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).