barbecue

/ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/

//ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː// noun

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

"barbecue" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“barbecue” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #12,548. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#12,548
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

barbecue vs barbeque
88% similar

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

Key facts for barbecue
PropertyValue
Headwordbarbecue
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,548
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “barbecue” 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). barbecue lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around barbecue (IPA /ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #12,548 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for barbecue, with forms such as "abrbecue", "babrecue", and "barbbecue". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "barbeque", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From mid-17th century. Borrowed from Spanish barbacoa, from Taíno barbakoa (“framework of sticks”), the raised wooden structure the natives used to either sleep on or cure meat. Originally “meal of roasted meat or fish”. Doublet of balbacua and barbacoa. The correct English form is barbecue, spelled B-A-R-B-E-C-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium.
  2. 2
    A meal or event highlighted by food cooked in such an apparatus.
  3. 3
    Meat, especially pork or beef, which has been cooked in such an apparatus (i.e. smoked over indirect heat from high-smoke fuels) and then chopped up or shredded.
  4. 4
    A hog, ox, or other large animal roasted or broiled whole for a feast.
  5. 5
    A floor on which coffee beans are sun-dried.
  6. 6
    A framework of sticks.

Etymology

From mid-17th century. Borrowed from Spanish barbacoa, from Taíno barbakoa (“framework of sticks”), the raised wooden structure the natives used to either sleep on or cure meat. Originally “meal of roasted meat or fish”. Doublet of balbacua and barbacoa.

Synonyms

braaibuccancompare grillbraaicookout

This word in other languages

barbacoa(Español)barbecue(Français)Grill(Deutsch)churrasco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abrbecue
  • babrecue
  • barbbecue
  • barbceue
  • barbeccue
  • barbeceu
  • barbeuce
  • barebcue
  • barrbecue
  • bbarbecue
  • brabecue

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abrbecue2babrecue2barbbecue1barbceue2barbeccue1barbeceu2barbeuce2barebcue2
Edit distance from "barbecue"

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 "barbecue"?
"barbecue" is spelled B-A-R-B-E-C-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/.
What does "barbecue" mean?
As a noun, "barbecue" means: A fireplace or pit for grilling food, typically used outdoors and traditionally employing hot charcoal as the heating medium.
What words are commonly confused with "barbecue"?
"barbecue" is commonly confused with "barbeque". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "barbecue"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "barbecue" is /ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/. 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 "barbecue"?
From mid-17th century. Borrowed from Spanish barbacoa, from Taíno barbakoa (“framework of sticks”), the raised wooden structure the natives used to either sleep on or cure meat. Originally “meal of roasted meat or fish”. Doublet of balbacua and ba... 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 “barbecue”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-R-B-E-C-U-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɑːbɪˌkjuː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “barbeque” - see the side-by-side comparison. barbecue vs barbeque
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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