batter

/ˈbætə/

//ˈbætə// verb

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

"batter" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“batter” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,666. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,666
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-batter · batter · English

batter · rank #13,666 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,666
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH barbie

Nearest frequency peer: barbie (-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 “batter”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “batter” 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).

batter vs Bauer
50% similar
batter vs Bayer
50% similar
batter vs Bette
50% similar

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

Key facts for batter
PropertyValue
Headwordbatter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbætə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#13,666
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “batter”

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).batterlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “barbie” (#13,665), “Baxter” (#13,667), “bedtime” (#13,668). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “batter” is #13,666. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around batter (IPA /ˈbætə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #13,666 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for batter, with forms such as "abtter", "bater", and "batetr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Bauer", "Bayer", "Bette", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English batteren, batren, bateren, a frequentative of Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), equivalent to bat + -er (frequentative suffix). The correct English form is batter, spelled B-A-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.
  2. 2
    To coat with batter (the food ingredient).
  3. 3
    To defeat soundly; to thrash.
  4. 4
    To intoxicate.
  5. 5
    To flatten (metal) by hammering, so as to compress it inwardly and spread it outwardly.
  6. 6
    To coat in a paste-like substance; to fasten with a paste-like glue.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The firemen battered down the door.
  2. The golden ſtature of their feathered bird That ſpreads her wings vpon the city wals, Shall not defend it from our battering ſhot.

Etymology

From Middle English batteren, batren, bateren, a frequentative of Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), equivalent to bat + -er (frequentative suffix).

This word in other languages

apalear(Español)rammen(Deutsch)bater(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abtter
  • bater
  • batetr
  • batterr
  • battre
  • bbatter
  • btater

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abtter2bater1batetr2batterr1battre2bbatter1btater2
Edit distance from "batter"

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 "batter"?
"batter" is spelled B-A-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbætə/.
What does "batter" mean?
As a verb, "batter" means: To hit or strike violently and repeatedly.
What words are commonly confused with "batter"?
"batter" is commonly confused with "Bauer", "Bayer", "Bette". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "batter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "batter" is /ˈbætə/. 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 "batter"?
From Middle English batteren, batren, bateren, a frequentative of Middle English batten, baten (“to beat”), equivalent to bat + -er (frequentative suffix). 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 "batter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

barbie#13,665Baxter#13,667braves#13,673amidst#13,657

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

venom7 variantsearns7 variantsHoover7 variantsrubbed7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list