belligerent

/bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt/

//bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt// adj

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

"belligerent" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“belligerent” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,376. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,376
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Engaged in warfare, warring.

Corpus desk

Index EN-belligerent · belligerent · English

belligerent · rank #27,376 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,376
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Bastille

Nearest frequency peer: Bastille (-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 “belligerent”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “belligerent” 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
Key facts for belligerent
PropertyValue
Headwordbelligerent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt/
Letters11
Frequency rank#27,376
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “belligerent”

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).belligerentlands 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 “Bastille” (#27,375), “Barbour” (#27,374), “bleaching” (#27,379). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “belligerent” is #27,376. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around belligerent (IPA /bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #27,376 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for belligerent, with forms such as "bbelligerent", "beligerent", and "belilgerent". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin belligerans (“waging war”), present active participle of belligerō (“I wage war”), from belliger (“waging war, warlike”), from bellum (“war”) + -ger (from gerō (“I lead, wage, carry on”)). The correct English form is belligerent, spelled B-E-L-L-I-G-E-R-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Engaged in warfare, warring.
  2. 2
    Eager to go to war, warlike.
  3. 3
    Of or pertaining to war.
  4. 4
    Aggressively hostile, eager to fight.
  5. 5
    Acting violently towards others.
  6. 6
    Uncooperative.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. England were not allowed to give their chariot the momentum it had a week ago. It was stopped dead in its tracks by a belligerent Springboks defence that simply refused to yield.

Etymology

From Latin belligerans (“waging war”), present active participle of belligerō (“I wage war”), from belliger (“waging war, warlike”), from bellum (“war”) + -ger (from gerō (“I lead, wage, carry on”)).

Synonyms

aggressiveantagonisticbellicosecombativecontentiouspugnaciousquarrelsometruculent

Antonyms

conciliatoryfriendlypeaceful

This word in other languages

beligerante(Español)belligérant(Français)kriegführend(Deutsch)beligerante(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbelligerent
  • beligerent
  • belilgerent
  • bellgierent
  • belliegrent
  • belligeernt
  • belligerennt
  • belligerentt
  • belligeretn
  • belligernet
  • belligerrent
  • belliggerent
  • belligreent
  • bleligerent
  • eblligerent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbelligerent1beligerent1belilgerent2bellgierent2belliegrent2belligeernt2belligerennt1belligerentt1
Edit distance from "belligerent"

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 "belligerent"?
"belligerent" is spelled B-E-L-L-I-G-E-R-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt/.
What does "belligerent" mean?
As an adjective, "belligerent" means: Engaged in warfare, warring.
What are common misspellings of "belligerent"?
Common misspellings include "bbelligerent", "beligerent", "belilgerent", "bellgierent", "belliegrent". The correct spelling is "belligerent".
How do you pronounce "belligerent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "belligerent" is /bəˈlɪdʒ.(ə).ɹənt/. 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 "belligerent"?
From Latin belligerans (“waging war”), present active participle of belligerō (“I wage war”), from belliger (“waging war, warlike”), from bellum (“war”) + -ger (from gerō (“I lead, wage, carry on”)). 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 "belligerent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

acupuncture#27,355utilitarian#27,326unannounced#27,320sweepstakes#27,306

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

Bloomfield15 variantschildrens15 variantsderivation15 variantsuncovering15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list