barricade

/ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/

//ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd// noun

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

"barricade" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“barricade” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,675 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,675
frequency rank, English
9
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

barricade vs barricades
90% similar

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

Key facts for barricade
PropertyValue
Headwordbarricade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,675
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “barricade” 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). barricade lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for barricade is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,675 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for barricade, with forms such as "abrricade", "baricade", and "barircade". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "barricades", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is borrowed from French barricade, or an assimilation of the earlier barricado to the French form. The verb is from the noun or French barricader. The correct English form is barricade, spelled B-A-R-R-I-C-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
  2. 2
    An obstacle, barrier, or bulwark.
  3. 3
    A place of confrontation.
  4. 4
    Line of people standing behind or closest to the barricade in the pit section of a live music concert.

Etymology

The noun is borrowed from French barricade, or an assimilation of the earlier barricado to the French form. The verb is from the noun or French barricader.

This word in other languages

barricada(Español)barricade(Français)Barrikade(Deutsch)barricada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abrricade,baricade,barircade,barrciade,barriacde,barricadde,barricaed,barriccade,barricdae,bbarricade,braricade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abrricade2baricade1barircade2barrciade2barriacde2barricadde1barricaed2barriccade1
Edit distance from "barricade"

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 "barricade"?
"barricade" is spelled B-A-R-R-I-C-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/.
What does "barricade" mean?
As a noun, "barricade" means: A barrier constructed across a road, especially as a military defence
What words are commonly confused with "barricade"?
"barricade" is commonly confused with "barricades". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "barricade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "barricade" is /ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/. 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 "barricade"?
The noun is borrowed from French barricade, or an assimilation of the earlier barricado to the French form. The verb is from the noun or French barricader. 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 “barricade”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-A-R-R-I-C-A-D-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˌbæɹ.ɪˈkeɪd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “barricades” - see the side-by-side comparison. barricade vs barricades
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list