bogeyman

/ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/

//ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“bogeyman” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,813 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#52,813
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories.

Key facts for bogeyman
PropertyValue
Headwordbogeyman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#52,813
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bogeyman” 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). bogeyman 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 bogeyman is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,813 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.

No generated misspelling entries exist for bogeyman in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From bogey + -man. The correct English form is bogeyman, spelled B-O-G-E-Y-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories.
  2. 2
    Any make-believe threat, especially one used to intimidate or distract; a real threat greatly exaggerated for those purposes.

Etymology

From bogey + -man.

This word in other languages

coco(Español)croque-mitaine(Français)Butzemann(Deutsch)papa-figos(Português)

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 "bogeyman"?
"bogeyman" is spelled B-O-G-E-Y-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/.
What does "bogeyman" mean?
As a noun, "bogeyman" means: A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's stories.
How do you pronounce "bogeyman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bogeyman" is /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/. 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 "bogeyman"?
From bogey + -man. 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 “bogeyman”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-G-E-Y-M-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbəʊ.ɡɪˌmæn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list