balsam

/ˈbɔːl.səm/

//ˈbɔːl.səm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“balsam” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,075. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,075
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.

Corpus desk

Index EN-balsam · balsam · English

balsam · rank #44,075 · 9 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,075
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH baits

Nearest frequency peer: baits (-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 “balsam”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “balsam” 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).

balsam vs basal
67% similar
balsam vs bantam
67% similar
balsam vs balsamic
75% similar

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

Key facts for balsam
PropertyValue
Headwordbalsam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɔːl.səm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#44,075
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “balsam”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “baits” (#44,074), “backstroke” (#44,073), “babyface” (#44,072). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “balsam” is #44,075. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around balsam (IPA /ˈbɔːl.səm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,075 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for balsam, with forms such as "ablsam", "balasm", and "ballsam". 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 7 confusable-pair relationships, "basal", "bantam", "balsamic", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa. The correct English form is balsam, spelled B-A-L-S-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
  2. 2
    A plant or tree yielding such substance.
  3. 3
    A soothing ointment.
  4. 4
    Something soothing.
  5. 5
    A flowering plant of the genus Impatiens.
  6. 6
    The balsam family of flowering plants (Balsaminaceae), which includes Impatiens and Hydrocera.
  7. 7
    A balsam fir Abies balsamea.
  8. 8
    Canada balsam, a turpentine obtained from the resin of balsam fir.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Classical music is a sweet balsam for our sorrows

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa.

Synonyms

balmbalmbalmbalmjewelweedimpatienstouch-me-not

This word in other languages

bálsamo(Español)pommade(Français)Trost(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ablsam
  • balasm
  • ballsam
  • balsamm
  • balsma
  • balssam
  • baslam
  • bbalsam
  • blasam

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ablsam2balasm2ballsam1balsamm1balsma2balssam1baslam2bbalsam1
Edit distance from "balsam"

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 "balsam"?
"balsam" is spelled B-A-L-S-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɔːl.səm/.
What does "balsam" mean?
As a noun, "balsam" means: A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
What words are commonly confused with "balsam"?
"balsam" is commonly confused with "basal", "bantam", "balsamic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "balsam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "balsam" is /ˈbɔːl.səm/. 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 "balsam"?
Borrowed from Latin balsamum, from Ancient Greek βάλσαμον (bálsamon, “balsam”), of Semitic origin (Hebrew בושם (“spice, perfume”)); compare Old English balsam, balsamum (“balsam, balm”), Doublet of balm and desman. Not related to balsa. 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 "balsam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Baskin#44,080bobble#44,088amoral#44,059aldrin#44,050

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

barbell9 variantsAkhtar9 variantschimed9 variantsclatter9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list