blackness

/ˈblæknəs/

//ˈblæknəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“blackness” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #25,682 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#25,682
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state or quality of being black in colour.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

blackness vs blackest
78% similar

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

Key facts for blackness
PropertyValue
Headwordblackness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblæknəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#25,682
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blackness” 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). blackness 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 blackness is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblæknəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #25,682 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for blackness, with forms such as "balckness", "bblackness", and "blacckness". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "blackest", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense. The correct English form is blackness, spelled B-L-A-C-K-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state or quality of being black in colour.
  2. 2
    Any space that such colour pervades.
  3. 3
    Darkness, gloominess; depression.
  4. 4
    The quality of being evil or dismal.
  5. 5
    The state of being of African descent.
  6. 6
    The experiences and culture of African-American people.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense.

Antonyms

blacklessnesswhiteness

This word in other languages

negrura(Español)noirceur(Français)Schwärze(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: balckness,bblackness,blacckness,blackenss,blackkness,blacknes,blacknness,blacknses,blacnkess,blakcness,blcakness,bllackness,lbackness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blackness - 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.

balckness2bblackness1blacckness1blackenss2blackkness1blacknes1blacknness1blacknses2
Edit distance from "blackness"

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 "blackness"?
"blackness" is spelled B-L-A-C-K-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblæknəs/.
What does "blackness" mean?
As a noun, "blackness" means: The state or quality of being black in colour.
What words are commonly confused with "blackness"?
"blackness" is commonly confused with "blackest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blackness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blackness" is /ˈblæknəs/. 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 "blackness"?
Inherited from Middle English blaknesse, equivalent to black + -ness. Sense 5 most likely both originated from the masque The Masque of Blackness by Ben Jonson and later changed to its current positive sense. 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 “blackness”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-A-C-K-N-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈblæknəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “blackest” - see the side-by-side comparison. blackness vs blackest
  • 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