bhangra

/ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/

//ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə// noun

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

The verdict

“bhangra” is uncommon English (frequency #64,928 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,928
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A lively style of music originating from India.

Key facts for bhangra
PropertyValue
Headwordbhangra
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#64,928
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bhangra” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). bhangra lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bhangra is uncommon English at frequency #64,928 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for bhangra, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Punjabi ਭੰਗੜਾ (bhaṅgṛā) / بَھن٘گْڑا (bhaṉgṛā), from ਭੰਗ / بَھن٘گ (bhaṉg, “hemp”) + ـڑا (-ṛā). The correct English form is bhangra, spelled B-H-A-N-G-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A lively style of music originating from India.
  2. 2
    A traditional Punjabi folk dance, originally a celebration of the harvest.
  3. 3
    Any of various modern Punjabi dance styles of the 1950s and 1990s.
  4. 4
    Any style of electronic dance music (EDM) influenced by the musics of the Indian subcontinent.
  5. 5
    A false daisy (Eclipta prostrata).

Etymology

From Punjabi ਭੰਗੜਾ (bhaṅgṛā) / بَھن٘گْڑا (bhaṉgṛā), from ਭੰਗ / بَھن٘گ (bhaṉg, “hemp”) + ـڑا (-ṛā).

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 "bhangra"?
"bhangra" is spelled B-H-A-N-G-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/.
What does "bhangra" mean?
As a noun, "bhangra" means: A lively style of music originating from India.
How do you pronounce "bhangra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bhangra" is /ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/. 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 "bhangra"?
From Punjabi ਭੰਗੜਾ (bhaṅgṛā) / بَھن٘گْڑا (bhaṉgṛā), from ਭੰਗ / بَھن٘گ (bhaṉg, “hemp”) + ـڑا (-ṛā). 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 “bhangra”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-H-A-N-G-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɑːŋ.ɡɹə/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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