bawd
/bɔːd/
"bawd" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“bawd” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who keeps a brothel, or procures women for prostitution; a procurer or madam.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | bawd |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /bɔːd/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “bawd” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
bawd is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /bɔːd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for bawd, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bawde, baude, from Old French baud (“bold, lively, jolly, gay”). Doublet of bold. An association with Welsh bawddyn (“dirty fellow, scoundrel”), from baw (“dirt”), was suggested by the Rev. Henry Todd. The correct English form is bawd, spelled B-A-W-D.
Definition
- 1One who keeps a brothel, or procures women for prostitution; a procurer or madam.
- 2A person who facilitates an immoral act, especially one of a sexual nature.
- 3A lewd person.
Etymology
From Middle English bawde, baude, from Old French baud (“bold, lively, jolly, gay”). Doublet of bold. An association with Welsh bawddyn (“dirty fellow, scoundrel”), from baw (“dirt”), was suggested by the Rev. Henry Todd.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “bawd”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-A-W-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /bɔːd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.