blowback
"blowback" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“blowback” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,023. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #41,023
- frequency rank, English
- 31,241
- “B” headwords
- 13
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of action where the pressure from the fired cartridge blows a sliding mechanism backward to extract the fired cartridge, chamber another cartridge, and cock the hammer.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | blowback |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #41,023 |
| Misspellings tracked | 13 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “blowback” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 13 spelling variants around blowback, anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,023 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for blowback, with forms such as "bblowback", "bllowback", and "blobwack". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Deverbal from blow back. The correct English form is blowback, spelled B-L-O-W-B-A-C-K.
Definition
- 1A type of action where the pressure from the fired cartridge blows a sliding mechanism backward to extract the fired cartridge, chamber another cartridge, and cock the hammer.
- 2An unintended adverse result, especially of covert political action.
- 3The act of shotgunning (inhaling from a pipe etc. and exhaling into another smoker's mouth).
- 4On a steam locomotive, the reversal of exhaust gases when the regulator is closed without using the blower.
- 5Synonym of backscatter.
Etymology
Deverbal from blow back.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- bblowback
- bllowback
- blobwack
- blowabck
- blowbacck
- blowbackk
- blowbakc
- blowbback
- blowbcak
- blowwback
- blwoback
- bolwback
- lbowback
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of blowback - 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.
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
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Using “blowback”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is B-L-O-W-B-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Same frequency band
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.