blot

/blɒt/

//blɒt// noun

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

"blot" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“blot” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #27,745. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#27,745
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-blot · blot · English

blot · rank #27,745 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #27,745
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bode

Nearest frequency peer: bode (+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 “blot”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “blot” 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).

blot vs bo
50% similar
blot vs Bt
25% similar
blot vs but
50% similar

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

Key facts for blot
PropertyValue
Headwordblot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/blɒt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#27,745
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “blot”

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).blotlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “bode” (#27,746), “blondie” (#27,743), “Boer” (#27,747). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “blot” is #27,745. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around blot (IPA /blɒt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #27,745 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for blot, with forms such as "bblot", "bllot", and "blott". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bo", "Bt", "but", 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 blot (“blot, spot, stain, blemish”). Perhaps from Old Norse *blettr (“blot, stain”) (only attested in documents from after Old Norse transitioned to Icelandic blettur), or from Old French bloche (“clod of earth”). The correct English form is blot, spelled B-L-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
  2. 2
    A stain on someone's reputation or character; a disgrace.
  3. 3
    A method of transferring proteins, DNA or RNA, onto a carrier.
  4. 4
    An exposed piece in backgammon.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. England bound in with the triumphant ſea, / Whoſe rocky ſhore beates backe the enuious ſiedge / Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with ſhame, / With Inky blottes, and rotten Parchment bonds.
  2. When I and some others subscribed our names / To a plot for expelling my master king James [James II of England]; / I withdrew my subscription by help of a blot, / And so might discover or gain by the plot: […]

Etymology

From Middle English blot (“blot, spot, stain, blemish”). Perhaps from Old Norse *blettr (“blot, stain”) (only attested in documents from after Old Norse transitioned to Icelandic blettur), or from Old French bloche (“clod of earth”).

This word in other languages

mancha(Español)tache(Français)Fleck(Deutsch)mancha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bblot
  • bllot
  • blott
  • blto
  • lbot

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bblot1bllot1blott1blto2lbot2
Edit distance from "blot"

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 "blot"?
"blot" is spelled B-L-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /blɒt/.
What does "blot" mean?
As a noun, "blot" means: A blemish, spot or stain made by a coloured substance.
What words are commonly confused with "blot"?
"blot" is commonly confused with "bo", "Bt", "but". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blot" is /blɒt/. 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 "blot"?
From Middle English blot (“blot, spot, stain, blemish”). Perhaps from Old Norse *blettr (“blot, stain”) (only attested in documents from after Old Norse transitioned to Icelandic blettur), or from Old French bloche (“clod of earth”). 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 "blot", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bode#27,746Boer#27,747boos#27,751Cohn#27,775

Similar misspelling depth

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

hove5 variantsrammed5 variantsPAPI5 variantsMaud5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list