banjo
/ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/
"banjo" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“banjo” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,292 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #20,292
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A stringed musical instrument (chordophone), usually with a round body, a membrane-like soundboard and a fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.
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 | banjo |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #20,292 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “banjo” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for banjo is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,292 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for banjo, with forms such as "abnjo", "bajno", and "banjjo". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bao", "bank", "bans", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the pronunciation of African slaves, of unknown ultimate origin. Possibly a corruption of bandore (from Spanish bandurria), alternatively from a West African language such as Mandinka banjul, or Kimbundu mbanza. The correct English form is banjo, spelled B-A-N-J-O.
Definition
- 1A stringed musical instrument (chordophone), usually with a round body, a membrane-like soundboard and a fretted neck, played by plucking or strumming the strings.
- 2Any of various similar musical instruments, such as the Tuvan doshpuluur, with a membrane-like soundboard.
- 3An object shaped like a banjo, especially a frying pan or a shovel.
- 4A cul-de-sac with a round end.
- 5A miner's round-nosed shovel.
- 6An egg sandwich fried on a flattop and served in a bun as would a burger, ellipsis of egg banjo.
- 7The frenulum of the penis.
Etymology
From the pronunciation of African slaves, of unknown ultimate origin. Possibly a corruption of bandore (from Spanish bandurria), alternatively from a West African language such as Mandinka banjul, or Kimbundu mbanza.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: abnjo,bajno,banjjo,bannjo,banoj,bbanjo,bnajo
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of banjo - 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 "banjo"?
What does "banjo" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "banjo"?
How do you pronounce "banjo"?
What is the origin of the word "banjo"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “banjo”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-N-J-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈbæn.dʒəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “bao” - see the side-by-side comparison. banjo vs bao
- 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.