bombard

/ˈbɒmˌbɑːd/

//ˈbɒmˌbɑːd// noun

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

"bombard" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bombard” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,713 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#39,713
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bombard vs bomber
71% similar
bombard vs Bombay
57% similar
bombard vs bombed
71% similar

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

Key facts for bombard
PropertyValue
Headwordbombard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɒmˌbɑːd/
Letters7
Frequency rank#39,713
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bombard” 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). bombard 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 bombard is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɒmˌbɑːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,713 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for bombard, with forms such as "bbombard", "bmobard", and "bobmard". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "bomber", "Bombay", "bombed", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bombard, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”). The modern pronunciation is from modern French bombarde. The correct English form is bombard, spelled B-O-M-B-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
  2. 2
    A bassoon-like medieval musical instrument.
  3. 3
    A large liquor container made of leather, in the form of a jug or a bottle.
  4. 4
    A bombardment.
  5. 5
    A bombardon.

Etymology

From Middle English bombard, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”). The modern pronunciation is from modern French bombarde.

This word in other languages

bombarda(Español)bombarde(Français)Donnerbüchse(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbombard,bmobard,bobmard,bomabrd,bombadr,bombardd,bombarrd,bombbard,bombrad,bommbard,obmbard

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbombard1bmobard2bobmard2bomabrd2bombadr2bombardd1bombarrd1bombbard1
Edit distance from "bombard"

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 "bombard"?
"bombard" is spelled B-O-M-B-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɒmˌbɑːd/.
What does "bombard" mean?
As a noun, "bombard" means: A medieval primitive cannon, used chiefly in sieges for throwing heavy stone balls.
What words are commonly confused with "bombard"?
"bombard" is commonly confused with "bomber", "Bombay", "bombed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bombard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bombard" is /ˈbɒmˌbɑːd/. 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 "bombard"?
From Middle English bombard, from Middle French bombarde (“a bombard, mortar, catapult"; also "a bassoon-like musical instrument”), from Latin bombus (“buzzing; booming”). The modern pronunciation is from modern French bombarde. 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 “bombard”

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

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