blackball

/ˈblækbɔːl/

//ˈblækbɔːl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“blackball” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A rejection; a vote against admitting someone.

Key facts for blackball
PropertyValue
Headwordblackball
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblækbɔːl/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blackball” sits in English frequency

blackball falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for blackball is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblækbɔːl/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for blackball in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From black + ball. The correct English form is blackball, spelled B-L-A-C-K-B-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rejection; a vote against admitting someone.
  2. 2
    A black ball used to indicate such a negative vote.
  3. 3
    A kind of large black sweet, a black-colored gobstopper.
  4. 4
    A substance for blacking shoes, boots, etc. or for taking impressions of engraved work.
  5. 5
    A game, a standardized version of the English version of eight-ball.

Etymology

From black + ball.

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 "blackball"?
"blackball" is spelled B-L-A-C-K-B-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblækbɔːl/.
What does "blackball" mean?
As a noun, "blackball" means: A rejection; a vote against admitting someone.
How do you pronounce "blackball"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blackball" is /ˈblækbɔːl/. 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 "blackball"?
From black + ball. 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 “blackball”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-A-C-K-B-A-L-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈblækbɔːl/ (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
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