blockade

/blɑˈkeɪd/

//blɑˈkeɪd// noun

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

"blockade" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blockade” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #13,469. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#13,469
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blockade · blockade · English

blockade · rank #13,469 · 12 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #13,469
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH blitz

Nearest frequency peer: blitz (-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 “blockade”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “blockade” 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).

blockade vs blocked
75% similar
blockade vs brocade
75% similar
blockade vs blockage
88% similar

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

Key facts for blockade
PropertyValue
Headwordblockade
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/blɑˈkeɪd/
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,469
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “blockade”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).blockadelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “blitz” (#13,468), “Bosnia” (#13,470), “brightness” (#13,471). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blockade” is #13,469. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around blockade (IPA /blɑˈkeɪd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #13,469 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for blockade, with forms such as "bblockade", "blcokade", and "bllockade". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "blocked", "brocade", "blockage", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From block + -ade, probably after Dutch blocquade (now blokkade) or German Blockade. The correct English form is blockade, spelled B-L-O-C-K-A-D-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.
  2. 2
    Any form of formal isolation or inhibition of something, especially with the force of law or arms.
  3. 3
    The ships or other forces used to effect a naval blockade.
  4. 4
    Inhibition of the activity (function) of chemical messengers or their receptors, such as (often) receptor antagonism.
  5. 5
    The act of preventing an opponent's pawn moving by placing a piece in front of it.
  6. 6
    Synonym of prime.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A six-day blockade from 28 May to 2 June saw NR [National Rail] straighten the track through the station, facilitating a linespeed increase from 60mph to 85mph over a 4km stretch.
  2. In the mean time, Francesca, separated from Madame de Mercœur, was hidden by a group around the Queen of Sweden. With the wall on one side, and a human blockade on the other, she was left at full leisure to meditate on a vow made at the first announcement of the lottery, namely, that whatever might fall to her lot she would offer in a neighbouring chapel…

Etymology

From block + -ade, probably after Dutch blocquade (now blokkade) or German Blockade.

Synonyms

embargoantagonismreceptor antagonism

This word in other languages

bloqueo(Español)blocus(Français)Blockade(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bblockade
  • blcokade
  • bllockade
  • blocakde
  • blocckade
  • blockadde
  • blockaed
  • blockdae
  • blockkade
  • blokcade
  • bolckade
  • lbockade

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bblockade1blcokade2bllockade1blocakde2blocckade1blockadde1blockaed2blockdae2
Edit distance from "blockade"

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 "blockade"?
"blockade" is spelled B-L-O-C-K-A-D-E. The IPA pronunciation is /blɑˈkeɪd/.
What does "blockade" mean?
As a noun, "blockade" means: The physical blocking or surrounding of a place, especially a port, in order to prevent commerce and traffic in or out.
What words are commonly confused with "blockade"?
"blockade" is commonly confused with "blocked", "brocade", "blockage". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blockade"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blockade" is /blɑˈkeɪd/. 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 "blockade"?
From block + -ade, probably after Dutch blocquade (now blokkade) or German Blockade. 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 "blockade", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

attained#13,463advising#13,454youthful#13,449wrapping#13,448

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

ambiguous12 variantstoxicity12 variantstolerant12 variantspriceless12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list