Bolshevik

/ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/

//ˈbɒlʃəvɪk// noun

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

"bolshevik" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Bolshevik” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,938 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,938
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A Russian communist revolutionary, a member of the Bolshevik Party in the Communist Revolution of Russia in 1917.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Bolshevik vs Bolsheviks
90% similar

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

Key facts for Bolshevik
PropertyValue
HeadwordBolshevik
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#29,938
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Bolshevik” 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). Bolshevik 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 Bolshevik is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,938 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.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for Bolshevik, with forms such as "bbolshevik", "bloshevik", and "bolhsevik". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Bolsheviks", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Russian большеви́к (bolʹševík), from большинство́ (bolʹšinstvó, “majority”). The correct English form is Bolshevik, spelled B-O-L-S-H-E-V-I-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A Russian communist revolutionary, a member of the Bolshevik Party in the Communist Revolution of Russia in 1917.
  2. 2
    A member of the Communist Party that ruled the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Etymology

Borrowed from Russian большеви́к (bolʹševík), from большинство́ (bolʹšinstvó, “majority”).

This word in other languages

bolchevique(Español)bolchevik(Français)Bolschewik(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbolshevik,bloshevik,bolhsevik,bollshevik,bolsehvik,bolsheivk,bolshevikk,bolshevki,bolshevvik,bolshhevik,bolshveik,bolsshevik,boslhevik,oblshevik

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbolshevik1bloshevik2bolhsevik2bollshevik1bolsehvik2bolsheivk2bolshevikk1bolshevki2
Edit distance from "Bolshevik"

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 "Bolshevik"?
"Bolshevik" is spelled B-O-L-S-H-E-V-I-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/.
What does "Bolshevik" mean?
As a noun, "Bolshevik" means: A Russian communist revolutionary, a member of the Bolshevik Party in the Communist Revolution of Russia in 1917.
What words are commonly confused with "Bolshevik"?
"Bolshevik" is commonly confused with "Bolsheviks". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Bolshevik"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bolshevik" is /ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/. 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 "Bolshevik"?
Borrowed from Russian большеви́к (bolʹševík), from большинство́ (bolʹšinstvó, “majority”). 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 “Bolshevik”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-L-S-H-E-V-I-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɒlʃəvɪk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Bolsheviks” - see the side-by-side comparison. Bolshevik vs Bolsheviks
  • 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