body

Name: body, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈbɒd.i/

//ˈbɒd.i// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“body” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #382 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#382
frequency rank, English: 4
letters: 5
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Physical frame.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

body vs by

50% similar

body vs buy

50% similar

body vs boy

75% similar

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

Key facts for body
Property	Value
Headword	body
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈbɒd.i/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#382
Misspellings tracked	5
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “body” 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). body lands here:

#382

#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 body is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɒd.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #382 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 21 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for body, with forms such as "bbody", "bdoy", and "boddy". 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, "by", "buy", "boy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- Proto-West Germanic *bodag Old English bodiġ Middle English bodi English body From Middle English body, bodi, bodiȝ, from Old English bodiġ, bodeġ (“body, trunk, chest, torso, height, stature”), from Proto-West Ge… The correct English form is body, spelled B-O-D-Y.

Definition

1
Physical frame.
2
Physical frame.
3
Physical frame.
4
Physical frame.
5
Physical frame.
6
Main section.
7
Main section.
8
Main section.
9
Main section.
10
Main section.
11
Main section.
12
Main section.
13
Coherent group.
14
Coherent group.
15
Coherent group.
16
Material entity.
17
Material entity.
18
Material entity.
19
Material entity.
20
The shank of a type, or the depth of the shank (by which the size is indicated).
21
A three-dimensional object, such as a cube or cone.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- Proto-West Germanic *bodag Old English bodiġ Middle English bodi English body From Middle English body, bodi, bodiȝ, from Old English bodiġ, bodeġ (“body, trunk, chest, torso, height, stature”), from Proto-West Germanic *bodag (“body, trunk”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“to be awake, observe”). Cognate with Old High German botah (“body, corpse, trunk, torso”) (whence Swabian Bottich (“body, torso”), Bavarian Bottich (“body, torso, carcass; lower part of a shirt or jacket”)).

Synonyms

bod body flesh carcasslikamquarrons soma

This word in other languages

cuerpo(Español)corps(Français)Körper(Deutsch)corpo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbody,bdoy,boddy,bodyy,obdy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of body - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

Edit distance from "body"

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 "body"?

"body" is spelled B-O-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɒd.i/.

What does "body" mean?

As a noun, "body" means: Physical frame.

What words are commonly confused with "body"?

"body" is commonly confused with "by", "buy", "boy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "body"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "body" is /ˈbɒd.i/. 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 "body"?

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 “body”

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

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