bonkers

/ˈbɒŋkəz/

//ˈbɒŋkəz// adj

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

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

The verdict

“bonkers” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,301. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,301
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Mad; crazy.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bonkers · bonkers · English

bonkers · rank #25,301 · 11 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,301
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH Blackstone

Nearest frequency peer: Blackstone (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “bonkers”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “bonkers” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bonkers vs bunker
71% similar
bonkers vs booker
71% similar
bonkers vs boxers
71% similar

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

Key facts for bonkers
PropertyValue
Headwordbonkers
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɒŋkəz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#25,301
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bonkers”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).bonkerslands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Blackstone” (#25,300), “bpd” (#25,302), “binoculars” (#25,299). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bonkers” is #25,301. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around bonkers (IPA /ˈbɒŋkəz/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #25,301 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Mad; crazy.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for bonkers, with forms such as "bbonkers", "bnokers", and "bokners". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "bunker", "booker", "boxers", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. Perhaps from bonk (a blow or punch on the head), perhaps related to earlier bonce. The correct English form is bonkers, spelled B-O-N-K-E-R-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Mad; crazy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [A]nd we should remind ourselves that it is absolutely bonkers that we elect judges at all; that system is used almost nowhere else on earth[.]
  2. "They are turning people off travelling. And the removal of catering on such a long-distance route is just bonkers."

Etymology

Unknown. Perhaps from bonk (a blow or punch on the head), perhaps related to earlier bonce.

This word in other languages

majara(Español)fou(Français)bekloppt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbonkers
  • bnokers
  • bokners
  • bonekrs
  • bonkerrs
  • bonkerss
  • bonkesr
  • bonkkers
  • bonkres
  • bonnkers
  • obnkers

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bonkers - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbonkers1bnokers2bokners2bonekrs2bonkerrs1bonkerss1bonkesr2bonkkers1
Edit distance from "bonkers"

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 "bonkers"?
"bonkers" is spelled B-O-N-K-E-R-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɒŋkəz/.
What does "bonkers" mean?
As an adjective, "bonkers" means: Mad; crazy.
What words are commonly confused with "bonkers"?
"bonkers" is commonly confused with "bunker", "booker", "boxers". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bonkers"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bonkers" is /ˈbɒŋkəz/. 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 "bonkers"?
Unknown. Perhaps from bonk (a blow or punch on the head), perhaps related to earlier bonce. 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 "bonkers", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Calvert#25,309Babcock#25,288catered#25,314Astoria#25,283

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

ballerina11 variantsaudiobook11 variantsanointed11 variantswishful11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list