English Word Reference Free

blindfold

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Detailed reference entry for the English word "blindfold", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Wiktionary, and usage frequency ranked against an open word-frequency list covering the top 100,000 English words. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "blindfold" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "blindfold" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

The verdict

“blindfold” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,894 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,894
frequency rank, English
9
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

Dominant Wiktionary sense: A covering, usually a bandage, for the eyes, blocking light to the eyes.

Key facts for blindfold
PropertyValue
Headwordblindfold
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblaɪndfəʊld/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,894
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “blindfold” 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). blindfold 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 blindfold is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblaɪndfəʊld/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,894 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for blindfold, with forms such as "bblindfold", "bilndfold", and "blidnfold". 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, "blindfolded", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English blyndefolde, blyndfuld, blynfold, blindfeld, blindfelt, yblynfeld, variants of y-blyndfalled, blyndfelled, etc. ("stricken blind, blindfolded"), past participle of Middle English blindfellen (“to strike blind”), from blind (“to blind”) a… Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is blindfold, spelled B-L-I-N-D-F-O-L-D, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A covering, usually a bandage, for the eyes, blocking light to the eyes.
  2. 2
    Anything that obscures the vision.

Etymology

From Middle English blyndefolde, blyndfuld, blynfold, blindfeld, blindfelt, yblynfeld, variants of y-blyndfalled, blyndfelled, etc. ("stricken blind, blindfolded"), past participle of Middle English blindfellen (“to strike blind”), from blind (“to blind”) and fellen (“to fell”), equivalent to blind + felled. Later influenced by the unrelated verb fold.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bblindfold,bilndfold,blidnfold,blinddfold,blindffold,blindflod,blindfodl,blindfoldd,blindfolld,blindofld,blinfdold,blinndfold,bllindfold,blnidfold,lbindfold

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blindfold — measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

Edit distance from "blindfold"

bblindfold1bilndfold2blidnfold2blinddfold1blindffold1blindflod2blindfodl2blindfoldd1
Edit distance from "blindfold"

Frequency rank: #36,894 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blindfold"?
"blindfold" is spelled B-L-I-N-D-F-O-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblaɪndfəʊld/.
What does "blindfold" mean?
As a noun, "blindfold" means: A covering, usually a bandage, for the eyes, blocking light to the eyes.
What words are commonly confused with "blindfold"?
"blindfold" is commonly confused with "blindfolded". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blindfold"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blindfold" is /ˈblaɪndfəʊld/. 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 "blindfold"?
From Middle English blyndefolde, blyndfuld, blynfold, blindfeld, blindfelt, yblynfeld, variants of y-blyndfalled, blyndfelled, etc. ("stricken blind, blindfolded"), past participle of Middle English blindfellen (“to strike blind”), from blind (“to... 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 “blindfold”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-L-I-N-D-F-O-L-D — every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈblaɪndfəʊld/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “blindfolded” — see the side-by-side comparison. blindfold vs blindfolded
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter B in our English index:

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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.