belabor

/bɪˈleɪ.bə/

//bɪˈleɪ.bə// verb

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

The verdict

“belabor” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - US spelling of belabour.

Key facts for belabor
PropertyValue
Headwordbelabor
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɪˈleɪ.bə/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “belabor” sits in English frequency

belabor falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for belabor is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɪˈleɪ.bə/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "US spelling of belabour.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for belabor, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From be- (“on, upon, about, over”) + labor. The correct English form is belabor, spelled B-E-L-A-B-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    US spelling of belabour.

Etymology

From be- (“on, upon, about, over”) + labor.

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

How do you spell "belabor"?
"belabor" is spelled B-E-L-A-B-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /bɪˈleɪ.bə/.
What does "belabor" mean?
As a verb, "belabor" means: US spelling of belabour.
How do you pronounce "belabor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "belabor" is /bɪˈleɪ.bə/. 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 "belabor"?
From be- (“on, upon, about, over”) + labor. 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 “belabor”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-E-L-A-B-O-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /bɪˈleɪ.bə/ (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.

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

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