bole

/bol/

//bol// noun

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

The verdict

“bole” is uncommon English (frequency #59,239 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,239
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The trunk or stem of a tree.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bole · bole · English

bole · rank #59,239 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,239
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH boogaloo

Nearest frequency peer: boogaloo (+2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “bole”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “bole” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for bole
PropertyValue
Headwordbole
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bol/
Letters4
Frequency rank#59,239
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “bole” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).bolefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “boogaloo” (#59,241), “botch” (#59,242), “BME” (#59,235). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bole” is #59,239. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

bole is uncommon English at frequency #59,239 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /bol/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The trunk or stem of a tree.".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for bole, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bole, from Old Norse bolr, akin to Danish bul and German Bohle (“plank”). See also bulwark (“defensive wall”). The correct English form is bole, spelled B-O-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    The trunk or stem of a tree.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Enormous elm-tree boles did stoop and lean / Upon the dusky brushwood underneath / Their broad curved branches, fledged with clearest green, / New from its silken sheath.
  2. A fine powder filled the air and caressed the cheek with a tingle in its touch, and the black boles of the trees showed up in a light that seemed to come from below.

Etymology

From Middle English bole, from Old Norse bolr, akin to Danish bul and German Bohle (“plank”). See also bulwark (“defensive wall”).

This word in other languages

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 "bole"?
"bole" is spelled B-O-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bol/.
What does "bole" mean?
As a noun, "bole" means: The trunk or stem of a tree.
How do you pronounce "bole"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bole" is /bol/. 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 "bole"?
From Middle English bole, from Old Norse bolr, akin to Danish bul and German Bohle (“plank”). See also bulwark (“defensive wall”). 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 "bole", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list