balsam
/ˈbɔːl.səm/
"balsam" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“balsam” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #44,075 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #44,075
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 9
- tracked misspellings
- 7
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | balsam |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈbɔːl.səm/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #44,075 |
| Misspellings tracked | 9 |
| Confusable pairs | 7 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “balsam” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for balsam is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɔːl.səm/. Corpus data places it at rank #44,075 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1A sweet-smelling oil or resin derived from various plants.
- 2A plant or tree yielding such substance.
- 3A soothing ointment.
- 4Something soothing.
- 5A flowering plant of the genus Impatiens.
- 6The balsam family of flowering plants (Balsaminaceae), which includes Impatiens and Hydrocera.
- 7A balsam fir Abies balsamea.
- 8Canada balsam, a turpentine obtained from the resin of balsam fir.
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.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "balsam" mean?
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Using “balsam”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-L-S-A-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈbɔːl.səm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “basal” - see the side-by-side comparison. balsam vs basal
- 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.