bargain

/ˈbɑːɡən/

//ˈbɑːɡən// noun

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

"bargain" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bargain” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,651. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,651
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds themself to transfer the right to some property for a consideration, and the other party binds t...

Corpus desk

Index EN-bargain · bargain · English

bargain · rank #7,651 · 10 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,651
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH ballet

Nearest frequency peer: ballet (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “bargain”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “bargain” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bargain vs brain
71% similar
bargain vs barman
71% similar
bargain vs Bahrain
57% similar

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

Key facts for bargain
PropertyValue
Headwordbargain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɑːɡən/
Letters7
Frequency rank#7,651
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bargain”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).bargainlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “ballet” (#7,650), “binary” (#7,652), “blend” (#7,653). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bargain” is #7,651. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around bargain (IPA /ˈbɑːɡən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #7,651 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for bargain, with forms such as "abrgain", "bagrain", and "baragin". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "brain", "barman", "Bahrain", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bargaynen (“to bargain, make a pledge for sale”), from Old French bargaigner (“to bargain”), from Frankish *borganjan (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Germanic *burgijaną (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect… The correct English form is bargain, spelled B-A-R-G-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds themself to transfer the right to some property for a consideration, and the other party binds themself to receive the property and pay the consideration.
  2. 2
    An agreement or stipulation; mutual pledge.
  3. 3
    An item purchased for significantly less than the usual, or recommended, price
  4. 4
    A gainful transaction; an advantageous purchase.
  5. 5
    The thing stipulated or purchased.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how bargain appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. A contract is a bargain that is legally binding.
  2. […]And when your honors mean to solemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, Even at that time I may be married too.

Etymology

From Middle English bargaynen (“to bargain, make a pledge for sale”), from Old French bargaigner (“to bargain”), from Frankish *borganjan (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Germanic *burgijaną (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“to protect, secure”). Akin to Old High German boragēn, borgēn (“to look after, care for”) (German borgen), Old English borgian (“to borrow, lend, pledge”). More at borrow. Compare French barguigner and Portuguese barganhar.

This word in other languages

trato(Español)accord(Français)Angebot(Deutsch)transação(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abrgain
  • bagrain
  • baragin
  • bargainn
  • bargani
  • barggain
  • bargian
  • barrgain
  • bbargain
  • bragain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abrgain2bagrain2baragin2bargainn1bargani2barggain1bargian2barrgain1
Edit distance from "bargain"

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 "bargain"?
"bargain" is spelled B-A-R-G-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɑːɡən/.
What does "bargain" mean?
As a noun, "bargain" means: An agreement between parties concerning the sale of property; or a contract by which one party binds themself to transfer the right to some property for a consideration, and the other party binds t...
What words are commonly confused with "bargain"?
"bargain" is commonly confused with "brain", "barman", "Bahrain". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bargain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bargain" is /ˈbɑːɡən/. 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 "bargain"?
From Middle English bargaynen (“to bargain, make a pledge for sale”), from Old French bargaigner (“to bargain”), from Frankish *borganjan (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Germanic *burgijaną (“to borrow, lend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰergʰ- (“... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "bargain", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

annoyed#7,646cousins#7,669triumph#7,630denying#7,673

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

tricky10 variantselegant10 variantssprint10 variantssocially10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list