badge

/bæd͡ʒ/

//bæd͡ʒ// noun

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

"badge" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“badge” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,870. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,870
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-badge · badge · English

badge · rank #6,870 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,870
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH axis

Nearest frequency peer: axis (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “badge”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “badge” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

badge vs bag
60% similar
badge vs BAE
0% similar
badge vs base
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for badge
PropertyValue
Headwordbadge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bæd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,870
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “badge”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).badgelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “axis” (#6,869), “Bernard” (#6,871), “bizarre” (#6,872). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “badge” is #6,870. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around badge (IPA /bæd͡ʒ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,870 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 10 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for badge, with forms such as "abdge", "baddge", and "badeg". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bag", "BAE", "base", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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 *b… The correct English form is badge, spelled B-A-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 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.
  2. 2
    A small nameplate, identifying the wearer, and often giving additional information.
  3. 3
    A card, sometimes with a barcode or magnetic strip, granting access to a certain area.
  4. 4
    Something characteristic; a mark; a token.
  5. 5
    A brand on the hand of a thief, etc.
  6. 6
    A carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one.
  7. 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. 8
    A small overlay on an icon that shows additional information about that item, such as the number of new alerts or messages.
  9. 9
    An icon or emblem awarded to a user for some achievement.
  10. 10
    A police officer.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how badge appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. the badge of a society; the badge of a policeman
  2. Tax-gatherers, […]recognized by their official badges.

Etymology

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”).

Synonyms

emblemkeycard or ID card or access cardpin

This word in other languages

insignia(Español)plaque(Français)Abzeichen(Deutsch)distintivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abdge
  • baddge
  • badeg
  • badgge
  • bagde
  • bbadge
  • bdage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of badge - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

abdge2baddge1badeg2badgge1bagde2bbadge1bdage2
Edit distance from "badge"

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 "badge"?
"badge" is spelled B-A-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bæd͡ʒ/.
What does "badge" mean?
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.
What words are commonly confused with "badge"?
"badge" is commonly confused with "bag", "BAE", "base". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "badge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "badge" is /bæd͡ʒ/. 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 "badge"?
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-G... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "badge", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

carol#6,879trunk#6,851Diana#6,890tires#6,848

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

orbit7 variantsladder7 variantspossess7 variantsrider7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list