bistro

/ˈbiːstɹəʊ/

//ˈbiːstɹəʊ// noun

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

"bistro" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bistro” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,072. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,072
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small casual restaurant or pub, typically serving French-style cuisine.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bistro · bistro · English

bistro · rank #27,072 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,072
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bigoted

Nearest frequency peer: bigoted (-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 “bistro”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “bistro” 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 bistro
PropertyValue
Headwordbistro
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbiːstɹəʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#27,072
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bistro”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “bigoted” (#27,071), “bod” (#27,073), “Biggs” (#27,070). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bistro” is #27,072. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around bistro (IPA /ˈbiːstɹəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,072 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A small casual restaurant or pub, typically serving French-style cuisine.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bistro, with forms such as "bbistro", "bisrto", and "bisstro". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Attested from c. 1920, from the French bistro(t) with the original meaning "proprietor of a tavern" (1880s), of unknown origin, presumably regional French dialect. See the French etymology for more. The correct English form is bistro, spelled B-I-S-T-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small casual restaurant or pub, typically serving French-style cuisine.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Now, a coalition of bistro owners, unions and trade organizations is lobbying to get Unesco to grant Paris's sidewalk bistros and cafes official status as France's "intangible cultural heritage."
  2. The rule that Christmas preparations should wait until after Thanksgiving doesn't apply to Hugue Dufour and his wife, Sarah Obraitis, the owners of M. Wells, a Québécois bistro in Long Island City.

Etymology

Attested from c. 1920, from the French bistro(t) with the original meaning "proprietor of a tavern" (1880s), of unknown origin, presumably regional French dialect. See the French etymology for more.

This word in other languages

bistró(Español)bistro(Français)Bistro(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbistro
  • bisrto
  • bisstro
  • bistor
  • bistrro
  • bisttro
  • bitsro
  • bsitro
  • ibstro

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbistro1bisrto2bisstro1bistor2bistrro1bisttro1bitsro2bsitro2
Edit distance from "bistro"

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 "bistro"?
"bistro" is spelled B-I-S-T-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbiːstɹəʊ/.
What does "bistro" mean?
As a noun, "bistro" means: A small casual restaurant or pub, typically serving French-style cuisine.
What are common misspellings of "bistro"?
Common misspellings include "bbistro", "bisrto", "bisstro", "bistor", "bistrro". The correct spelling is "bistro".
How do you pronounce "bistro"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bistro" is /ˈbiːstɹəʊ/. 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 "bistro"?
Attested from c. 1920, from the French bistro(t) with the original meaning "proprietor of a tavern" (1880s), of unknown origin, presumably regional French dialect. See the French etymology for more. 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 "bistro", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Bessie#27,069barter#27,066bribed#27,079azalea#27,063

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

calmer9 variantsAntrim9 variantsaffords9 variantsacreage9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list