bind

/baɪnd/

//baɪnd// verb

"bind" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bind” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,331 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,331
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To tie; to confine by any ligature.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

bind vs bn
50% similar
bind vs bit
50% similar
bind vs bud
50% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for bind
PropertyValue
Headwordbind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/baɪnd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#10,331
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bind” 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). bind lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for bind is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /baɪnd/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,331 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for bind, with forms such as "bbind", "bidn", and "bindd". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bn", "bit", "bud", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-West Germanic *bindan Old English bindan Middle English binden English bind From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germa… The correct English form is bind, spelled B-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To tie; to confine by any ligature.
  2. 2
    To cohere or stick together in a mass.
  3. 3
    To be restrained from motion, or from customary or natural action, as by friction.
  4. 4
    To exert a binding or restraining influence.
  5. 5
    To tie or fasten tightly together, with a cord, band, ligature, chain, etc.
  6. 6
    To confine, restrain, or hold by physical force or influence of any kind.
  7. 7
    To couple.
  8. 8
    To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other social tie.
  9. 9
    To put (a person) under definite legal obligations, especially, under the obligation of a bond or covenant.
  10. 10
    To place under legal obligation to serve.
  11. 11
    To protect or strengthen by applying a band or binding, as the edge of a carpet or garment.
  12. 12
    To make fast (a thing) about or upon something, as by tying; to encircle with something.
  13. 13
    To cover, as with a bandage.
  14. 14
    To prevent or restrain from customary or natural action, as by producing constipation.
  15. 15
    To put together in a cover, as of books.
  16. 16
    To make two or more elements stick together.
  17. 17
    To associate an identifier with a value; to associate a variable name, method name, etc. with the content of a storage location.
  18. 18
    To process one or more object modules into an executable program.
  19. 19
    To complain; to whine about something.
  20. 20
    To wear a binder so as to flatten one's chest to give the appearance of a flat chest, usually done by trans men.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-West Germanic *bindan Old English bindan Middle English binden English bind From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from Proto-Germanic *bindaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéndʰ-e-ti, from *bʰendʰ- (“to tie”). See also West Frisian bine, Dutch binden, Low German binnen, binden, German binden, Danish binde; also Welsh ben (“cart”), Latin offendīx (“knot, band”), Lithuanian beñdras (“partner”), Albanian bind (“to convince, to awe, to spell”), Ancient Greek πεῖσμα (peîsma, “cable, rope”), Persian بستن (bastan, “to bind”), Sanskrit बन्धति (bándhati). Doublet of bandana.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbind,bidn,bindd,binnd,bnid,ibnd

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bind - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbind1bidn2bindd1binnd1bnid2ibnd2
Edit distance from "bind"

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 "bind"?
"bind" is spelled B-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /baɪnd/.
What does "bind" mean?
As a verb, "bind" means: To tie; to confine by any ligature.
What words are commonly confused with "bind"?
"bind" is commonly confused with "bn", "bit", "bud". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bind" is /baɪnd/. 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 "bind"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *bindaną Proto-West Germanic *bindan Old English bindan Middle English binden English bind From Middle English binden, from Old English bindan, from Proto-West Germanic *bindan, from P... 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 “bind”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-I-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /baɪnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bn” - see the side-by-side comparison. bind vs bn
  • 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