bleed

/ˈbliːd/

//ˈbliːd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“bleed” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,818 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,818
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bleed vs blue
60% similar
bleed vs blew
60% similar
bleed vs bred
60% similar

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

Key facts for bleed
PropertyValue
Headwordbleed
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbliːd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,818
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bleed” 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). bleed 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 bleed is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbliːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,818 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for bleed, with forms such as "bbleed", "beled", and "blede". 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, "blue", "blew", "bred", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōþijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläide (“to bl… The correct English form is bleed, spelled B-L-E-E-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.
  2. 2
    To menstruate.
  3. 3
    To let or draw blood from.
  4. 4
    To take large amounts of money from.
  5. 5
    To steadily lose (something vital).
  6. 6
    To spread from the intended location and stain the surrounding cloth or paper.
  7. 7
    To remove air bubbles from a pipe containing other fluids.
  8. 8
    To tap off high-pressure gas (usually air) from a system that produces high-pressure gas primarily for another purpose.
  9. 9
    To bleed on; to make bloody.
  10. 10
    To show one's group loyalty by showing (its associated color) in one's blood.
  11. 11
    To lose sap, gum, or juice.
  12. 12
    To issue forth, or drop, like blood from an incision.
  13. 13
    To destroy the environment where another phonological rule would have applied.
  14. 14
    To (cause to) extend to the edge of the page, without leaving any margin.
  15. 15
    To lose money.

Etymology

From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōþijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläide (“to bleed”), West Frisian bliede (“to bleed”), Dutch bloeden (“to bleed”), Low German blöden (“to bleed”), German bluten (“to bleed”), Danish bløde (“to bleed”), Swedish blöda (“to bleed”).

This word in other languages

sangrar(Español)saigner(Français)bluten(Deutsch)sangrar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbleed,beled,blede,bleedd,blleed,lbeed

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbleed1beled2blede2bleedd1blleed1lbeed2
Edit distance from "bleed"

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 "bleed"?
"bleed" is spelled B-L-E-E-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbliːd/.
What does "bleed" mean?
As a verb, "bleed" means: To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.
What words are commonly confused with "bleed"?
"bleed" is commonly confused with "blue", "blew", "bred". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bleed"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bleed" is /ˈbliːd/. 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 "bleed"?
From Middle English bleden, from Old English blēdan (“to bleed”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *blōþijaną (“to bleed”), from *blōþą (“blood”). Cognates Cognate with Scots blede, bleid (“to bleed”), Saterland Frisian bläi... 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 “bleed”

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

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