blank

/ˈblæŋk/

//ˈblæŋk// adj

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

"blank" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blank” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,662 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,662
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - White or pale; without colour.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

blank vs bunk
60% similar
blank vs bran
60% similar
blank vs block
60% similar

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

Key facts for blank
PropertyValue
Headwordblank
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈblæŋk/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,662
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blank” 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). blank 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 blank is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblæŋk/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,662 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for blank, with forms such as "balnk", "bblank", and "blakn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bunk", "bran", "block", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), from Proto-… The correct English form is blank, spelled B-L-A-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    White or pale; without colour.
  2. 2
    Free from writing, printing, or marks; having an empty space to be filled in.
  3. 3
    Lacking characteristics which give variety; uniform.
  4. 4
    Abject; absolute; complete; downright; sheer; utter.
  5. 5
    Without expression, usually because of incomprehension.
  6. 6
    Utterly confounded or discomfited.
  7. 7
    Empty; void; without result; fruitless; futile.
  8. 8
    Devoid of thoughts, memory, or inspiration.
  9. 9
    Of ammunition: having propellant but no bullets; unbulleted.

Etymology

From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleyǵ- (“to shine”). Akin to Old High German blanch (“shining, bright, white”) (German blank), Old English blanc (“white, grey”), blanca (“white steed”), Spanish blanco. More at blink, blind, blanch. Doublet of blanc.

This word in other languages

en blanco(Español)blanc(Français)ausdruckslos(Deutsch)em branco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: balnk,bblank,blakn,blankk,blannk,bllank,blnak,lbank

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

balnk2bblank1blakn2blankk1blannk1bllank1blnak2lbank2
Edit distance from "blank"

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 "blank"?
"blank" is spelled B-L-A-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblæŋk/.
What does "blank" mean?
As an adjective, "blank" means: White or pale; without colour.
What words are commonly confused with "blank"?
"blank" is commonly confused with "bunk", "bran", "block". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blank"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blank" is /ˈblæŋk/. 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 "blank"?
From Middle English blank, blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Anglo-Norman blonc, blaunc, blaunche, from Old French blanc, feminine blanche, from Frankish *blank (“gleaming, white, blinding”), from Proto-Germanic *blankaz (“white, bright, blinding”), f... 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 “blank”

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

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