bandana
/bænˈdæn.ə/
"bandana" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“bandana” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,202 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #39,202
- frequency rank, English
- 7
- letters
- 10
- tracked misspellings
- 8
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A large kerchief, usually colourful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief, neckerchief, bikini, or sweatband.
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 | bandana |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /bænˈdæn.ə/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #39,202 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 8 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “bandana” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for bandana is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bænˈdæn.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,202 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for bandana, with forms such as "abndana", "badnana", and "banadna". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "bandar", "banyan", "banding", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Hindi बंधन (bandhan, “the act of binding, a bond”), from Sanskrit बध्नाति (badhnāti, “he binds”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, bond”). Related to Hindi बाँधना (bāndhnā, “to tie”). Doublet of bind. The correct English form is bandana, spelled B-A-N-D-A-N-A.
Definition
- 1A large kerchief, usually colourful and used either as headgear or as a handkerchief, neckerchief, bikini, or sweatband.
- 2A style of calico printing, in which white or bright spots are produced upon cloth previously dyed a uniform red or dark colour, by discharging portions of the color by chemical means, while the rest of the cloth is under pressure.
Etymology
Borrowed from Hindi बंधन (bandhan, “the act of binding, a bond”), from Sanskrit बध्नाति (badhnāti, “he binds”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind, bond”). Related to Hindi बाँधना (bāndhnā, “to tie”). Doublet of bind.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: abndana,badnana,banadna,bandaan,bandanna,banddana,bandnaa,banndana,bbandana,bnadana
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bandana - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “bandana”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-N-D-A-N-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /bænˈdæn.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “bandar” - see the side-by-side comparison. bandana vs bandar
- 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.