blackface

/ˈblækˌfeɪs/

//ˈblækˌfeɪs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“blackface” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #33,537. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#33,537
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blackface · blackface · English

blackface · rank #33,537 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #33,537
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH benched

Nearest frequency peer: benched (-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 “blackface”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “blackface” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

blackface vs blackjack
78% similar

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

Key facts for blackface
PropertyValue
Headwordblackface
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblækˌfeɪs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#33,537
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “blackface”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).blackfacelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “benched” (#33,536), “bluish” (#33,538), “befitting” (#33,535). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blackface” is #33,537. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around blackface (IPA /ˈblækˌfeɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #33,537 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.
  2. 2
    A sheep of the Scottish Blackface breed.
  3. 3
    Synonym of boldface.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Soberano hit back at Instagram comments, writing, "This is not any form of blackface." But has since backtracked.
  2. The laboratory procedure in the most important tests and methods is printed in blackface type for convenience of reference.

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.

balckface2bblackface1blacckface1blacfkace2blackafce2blackfacce1blackfaec2blackfcae2
Edit distance from "blackface"

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 "blackface"?
"blackface" is spelled B-L-A-C-K-F-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblækˌfeɪs/.
What does "blackface" mean?
As a noun, "blackface" means: The practice in which a nonblack person blackens their face using theatrical makeup in order to portray a caricature of a black person.
What words are commonly confused with "blackface"?
"blackface" is commonly confused with "blackjack". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blackface"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blackface" is /ˈblækˌfeɪs/. 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 "blackface"?
From black + face. 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 "blackface", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

befitting#33,535bountiful#33,544bulldozer#33,548asymmetry#33,520

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

canvassing14 variantstelephony14 variantssoutherly14 variantsfirefight14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list