bamboo

/bæmˈbu/

//bæmˈbu// noun

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

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

The verdict

“bamboo” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,007 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,007
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the fast-growing grasses of the Bambusoideae subfamily, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bamboo vs bimbo
67% similar
bamboo vs Bambi
50% similar
bamboo vs balboa
67% similar

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

Key facts for bamboo
PropertyValue
Headwordbamboo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bæmˈbu/
Letters6
Frequency rank#12,007
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bamboo” 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). bamboo 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 bamboo is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bæmˈbu/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,007 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for bamboo, with forms such as "abmboo", "babmoo", and "bambboo". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "bimbo", "Bambi", "balboa", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Dravidian *wē Proto-Dravidian *mpu Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Tamil வேம்பு (vēmpu)bor. ▲ Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Kannada ಬಂಬು (bambu)bor. Malay bambubor. Portuguese bambubor. Dutch bamboebor. English bamboo Borrowed from Dutch bamboe, from P… The correct English form is bamboo, spelled B-A-M-B-O-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the fast-growing grasses of the Bambusoideae subfamily, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem.
  2. 2
    Wood of the bamboo plant as a material for building, furniture, etc.
  3. 3
    A stick, rod, pole, or cane of bamboo, especially one used as a vessel for liquids, or as a tool for corporal punishment.
  4. 4
    A didgeridoo.
  5. 5
    A member of the British military or British East India Company who spent so much time in Indonesia, India, or Malaysia that they never went back home.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Dravidian *wē Proto-Dravidian *mpu Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Tamil வேம்பு (vēmpu)bor. ▲ Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Kannada ಬಂಬು (bambu)bor. Malay bambubor. Portuguese bambubor. Dutch bamboebor. English bamboo Borrowed from Dutch bamboe, from Portuguese bambu, from Malay bambu, from Kannada ಬಂಬು (bambu), variant form of ಬೇವು (bēvu). Cognate with Malayalam വേപ്പ് (vēppŭ), Telugu వేప (vēpa), from Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu (“neem”).

This word in other languages

bambúes(Español)bambou(Français)Bambusse(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abmboo,babmoo,bambboo,bambo,bammboo,bamobo,bbamboo,bmaboo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abmboo2babmoo2bambboo1bambo1bammboo1bamobo2bbamboo1bmaboo2
Edit distance from "bamboo"

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 "bamboo"?
"bamboo" is spelled B-A-M-B-O-O. The IPA pronunciation is /bæmˈbu/.
What does "bamboo" mean?
As a noun, "bamboo" means: Any of the fast-growing grasses of the Bambusoideae subfamily, characterised by its woody, hollow, round, straight, jointed stem.
What words are commonly confused with "bamboo"?
"bamboo" is commonly confused with "bimbo", "Bambi", "balboa". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bamboo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bamboo" is /bæmˈbu/. 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 "bamboo"?
Etymology tree Proto-Dravidian *wē Proto-Dravidian *mpu Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Tamil வேம்பு (vēmpu)bor. ▲ Proto-Dravidian *wēmpu Kannada ಬಂಬು (bambu)bor. Malay bambubor. Portuguese bambubor. Dutch bamboebor. English bamboo Borrowed from Dutch bamb... 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 “bamboo”

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

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