ballad

/ˈbæləd/

//ˈbæləd// noun

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

"ballad" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ballad” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,640. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,640
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ballad vs balls
67% similar
ballad vs Bella
50% similar
ballad vs bally
67% similar

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

Key facts for ballad
PropertyValue
Headwordballad
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbæləd/
Letters6
Frequency rank#16,640
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ballad” 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). ballad lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ballad (IPA /ˈbæləd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,640 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ballad, with forms such as "abllad", "balad", and "balald". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 17 confusable-pair relationships, "balls", "Bella", "bally", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada (“poem for a dance”), from Late Latin ballare. Doublet of ballade. The correct English form is ballad, spelled B-A-L-L-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.
  2. 2
    A slow romantic song.

Etymology

From French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada (“poem for a dance”), from Late Latin ballare. Doublet of ballade.

This word in other languages

balada(Español)ballade(Français)Ballade(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abllad
  • balad
  • balald
  • balladd
  • ballda
  • bballad
  • blalad

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ballad - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abllad2balad1balald2balladd1ballda2bballad1blalad2
Edit distance from "ballad"

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 "ballad"?
"ballad" is spelled B-A-L-L-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbæləd/.
What does "ballad" mean?
As a noun, "ballad" means: A kind of narrative poem, adapted for recitation or singing; especially, a sentimental or romantic poem in short stanzas.
What words are commonly confused with "ballad"?
"ballad" is commonly confused with "balls", "Bella", "bally". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ballad"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ballad" is /ˈbæləd/. 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 "ballad"?
From French ballade, from Old Occitan ballada (“poem for a dance”), from Late Latin ballare. Doublet of ballade. 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 “ballad”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-L-L-A-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbæləd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “balls” - see the side-by-side comparison. ballad vs balls
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list