baker

/ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/

//ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“baker” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,824 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,824
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar items.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

baker vs bar
60% similar
baker vs ber
60% similar
baker vs base
60% similar

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

Key facts for baker
PropertyValue
Headwordbaker
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#4,824
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “baker” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). baker lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for baker is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,824 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for baker, with forms such as "abker", "baekr", and "bakerr". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bar", "ber", "base", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English bakere, from Old English bæcere (“baker”), from Proto-Germanic *bakārijaz (“baker”), equivalent to bake + -er. Cognate with Dutch bakker (“baker”), German Bäcker (“baker”), Norwegian Bokmål baker (“baker”), Swedish bagare (“bak… The correct English form is baker, spelled B-A-K-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar items.
  2. 2
    A portable oven for baking.
  3. 3
    An apple suitable for baking.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English bakere, from Old English bæcere (“baker”), from Proto-Germanic *bakārijaz (“baker”), equivalent to bake + -er. Cognate with Dutch bakker (“baker”), German Bäcker (“baker”), Norwegian Bokmål baker (“baker”), Swedish bagare (“baker”), Icelandic bakari (“baker”).

Synonyms

baxterdougher

This word in other languages

panadero(Español)boulanger(Français)Bäcker(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abker,baekr,bakerr,bakker,bakre,bbaker,bkaer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of baker - 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.

abker2baekr2bakerr1bakker1bakre2bbaker1bkaer2
Edit distance from "baker"

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 "baker"?
"baker" is spelled B-A-K-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/.
What does "baker" mean?
As a noun, "baker" means: A person who bakes and sells bread, cakes and similar items.
What words are commonly confused with "baker"?
"baker" is commonly confused with "bar", "ber", "base". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "baker"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "baker" is /ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/. 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 "baker"?
Inherited from Middle English bakere, from Old English bæcere (“baker”), from Proto-Germanic *bakārijaz (“baker”), equivalent to bake + -er. Cognate with Dutch bakker (“baker”), German Bäcker (“baker”), Norwegian Bokmål baker (“baker”), Swedish ba... 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.

Using “baker”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-K-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbeɪ.kə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bar” - see the side-by-side comparison. baker vs bar
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list