blackface
/ˈblækˌfeɪs/
"blackface" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“blackface” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #33,537 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #33,537
- frequency rank, English
- 9
- letters
- 14
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | blackface |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈblækˌfeɪs/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Frequency rank | #33,537 |
| Misspellings tracked | 14 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “blackface” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for blackface is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblækˌfeɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #33,537 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for blackface, with forms such as "balckface", "bblackface", and "blacckface". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "blackjack", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: From black + face. The correct English form is blackface, spelled B-L-A-C-K-F-A-C-E.
Definition
- 1The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.
- 2A sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.
- 3Synonym of boldface.
Etymology
From black + face.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: balckface,bblackface,blacckface,blacfkace,blackafce,blackfacce,blackfaec,blackfcae,blackfface,blackkface,blakcface,blcakface,bllackface,lbackface
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blackface - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “blackface”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-L-A-C-K-F-A-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈblækˌfeɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “blackjack” - see the side-by-side comparison. blackface vs blackjack
- 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.