bellyache

/ˈbɛliˌeɪk/

//ˈbɛliˌeɪk// noun

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

The verdict

“bellyache” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bellyache · bellyache · English

bellyache · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "B" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for bellyache
PropertyValue
Headwordbellyache
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɛliˌeɪk/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bellyache” in English

bellyacheranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

bellyache is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɛliˌeɪk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for bellyache in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From belly + ache. The correct English form is bellyache, spelled B-E-L-L-Y-A-C-H-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Eating too much candy can give you a bellyache.

Etymology

From belly + ache.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "bellyache"?
"bellyache" is spelled B-E-L-L-Y-A-C-H-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɛliˌeɪk/.
What does "bellyache" mean?
As a noun, "bellyache" means: Any pain in the belly, stomach, or abdomen.
How do you pronounce "bellyache"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bellyache" is /ˈbɛliˌeɪk/. 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 "bellyache"?
From belly + ache. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list