# bank

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbæŋk/ · frequency rank #705

## Definitions
1. An institution where one can place and borrow money and take care of financial affairs.
2. A branch office of such an institution.
3. An underwriter or controller of a card game.
4. A fund from deposits or contributions, to be used in transacting business; a joint stock or capital.
5. The sum of money etc. which the dealer or banker has as a fund from which to draw stakes and pay losses.
6. Money; profit.
7. In certain games, such as dominos, a fund of pieces from which the players are allowed to draw.
8. A safe and guaranteed place of storage for and retrieval of important items or goods.
9. A device used to store coins or currency.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg-der.
Proto-Germanic *bankiz
Proto-West Germanic *banki
Lombardic bankbor.
Italian bancabor.
Middle French banqueder.
English bank
Inherited from Middle English banke, from Middle French banque, from Italian banca (“counter, moneychanger's bench or table”), from Lombardic bank (“bench, counter”), from Proto-West Germanic *banki, from Proto-Germanic *bankiz (“bench, counter”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeg- (“to turn, curve, bend, bow”). Doublet of bench, banc, and banco.
For the bench-bank relation, compare typologically Russian ла́вка (lávka), прила́вок (prilávok).

## Easily confused with
- **bn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bn)
- **bar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bar)
- **bay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bay)
- **ben** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-ben)
- **bat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bat)
- **bin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bin)
- **BON** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bon)
- **bun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bun)
- **Bas** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bas)
- **bao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bao)
- **bok** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bok)
- **baz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-baz)
- **bap** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bap)
- **Bau** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bau)
- **book** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-book)
- **base** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-base)
- **bond** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bond)
- **bone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bone)
- **bars** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bars)
- **bath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/bank-vs-bath)

## Common misspellings (6)
`abnk`, `bakn`, `bankk`, `bannk`, `bbank`, `bnak`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bank