band

/bænd/

//bænd// noun

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

"band" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“band” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,262 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,262
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

band vs bd
50% similar
band vs bn
50% similar
band vs bed
50% similar

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

Key facts for band
PropertyValue
Headwordband
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bænd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,262
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “band” 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). band 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 band is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bænd/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,262 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 19 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for band, with forms such as "abnd", "badn", and "bandd". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bd", "bn", "bed", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bandiz Old English bend Middle English band English band Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaple… The correct English form is band, spelled B-A-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
  2. 2
    A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
  3. 3
    A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
  4. 4
    A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
  5. 5
    A long strip of material, color, etc, that is different from the surrounding area.
  6. 6
    A strip of decoration.
  7. 7
    A strip of decoration.
  8. 8
    That which serves as the means of union or connection between persons; a tie.
  9. 9
    A linen collar or ruff worn in the 16th and 17th centuries.
  10. 10
    Two strips of linen hanging from the neck in front as part of a clerical, legal, or academic dress.
  11. 11
    A part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
  12. 12
    A group of energy levels in a solid state material.
  13. 13
    A bond.
  14. 14
    Pledge; security.
  15. 15
    A ring, such as a wedding ring (wedding band), or a ring put on a bird's leg to identify it.
  16. 16
    Any distinguishing line formed by chromatography, electrophoresis etc
  17. 17
    Ellipsis of band cell.
  18. 18
    A wad of money totaling $1K, held together by a band; (by extension) $1000, a grand; (by extension) money
  19. 19
    A designated range of radio frequencies used for wireless communication.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bandiz Old English bend Middle English band English band Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, ornament, chaplet, crown”), from Proto-Germanic *bandą, *bandiz (“band, fetter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to tie, bind”). Middle English band reinforced by Old French bande. Cognate with Dutch band, German Band, Danish bånd, Swedish band, Icelandic band (“band”). Related to bond, bind, bend.

This word in other languages

cinta(Español)Band(Deutsch)banda(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abnd,badn,bandd,bannd,bband,bnad

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of band - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abnd2badn2bandd1bannd1bband1bnad2
Edit distance from "band"

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 "band"?
"band" is spelled B-A-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /bænd/.
What does "band" mean?
As a noun, "band" means: A strip of material used for strengthening or coupling.
What words are commonly confused with "band"?
"band" is commonly confused with "bd", "bn", "bed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "band"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "band" is /bænd/. 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 "band"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bandiz Old English bend Middle English band English band Inherited from Middle English band (also bond), from Old English beand, bænd, bend (“bond, chain, fetter, band, ribbon, orname... 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 “band”

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

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