bonus

/ˈbəʊ.nəs/

//ˈbəʊ.nəs// noun

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

"bonus" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bonus” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,281. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,281
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Something extra that is good; an added benefit.

Corpus desk

Index EN-bonus · bonus · English

bonus · rank #3,281 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,281
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bars

Nearest frequency peer: bars (-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 “bonus”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “bonus” 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).

bonus vs bus
60% similar
bonus vs boys
60% similar
bonus vs boss
60% similar

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

Key facts for bonus
PropertyValue
Headwordbonus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbəʊ.nəs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,281
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “bonus”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).bonuslands 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 “bars” (#3,280), “castle” (#3,282), “babies” (#3,279). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “bonus” is #3,281. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around bonus (IPA /ˈbəʊ.nəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,281 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for bonus, with forms such as "bbonus", "bnous", and "bonnus". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bus", "boys", "boss", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin bonus (“good”). Doublet of bona. The correct English form is bonus, spelled B-O-N-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something extra that is good; an added benefit.
  2. 2
    An extra sum given as a premium, e.g. to an employee or to a shareholder.
  3. 3
    An addition to the player's score based on performance, e.g. for time remaining.
  4. 4
    One or more free throws awarded to a team when the opposing team has accumulated enough fouls.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I was a bank manager in the 1970s, but I never received or expected to receive a bonus for doing my paid work.
  2. Private-equity nabobs bristle at being dubbed mere financiers.[…]Much of their pleading is public-relations bluster. Clever financial ploys are what have made billionaires of the industry’s veterans. “Operational improvement” in a portfolio company has often meant little more than promising colossal bonuses to sitting chief executives if they meet ambitio…

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bonus (“good”). Doublet of bona.

This word in other languages

bonificación(Español)bonus(Français)Bonus(Deutsch)bônus(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbonus
  • bnous
  • bonnus
  • bonsu
  • bonuss
  • bouns
  • obnus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbonus1bnous2bonnus1bonsu2bonuss1bouns2obnus2
Edit distance from "bonus"

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 "bonus"?
"bonus" is spelled B-O-N-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbəʊ.nəs/.
What does "bonus" mean?
As a noun, "bonus" means: Something extra that is good; an added benefit.
What words are commonly confused with "bonus"?
"bonus" is commonly confused with "bus", "boys", "boss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bonus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bonus" is /ˈbəʊ.nəs/. 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 "bonus"?
Borrowed from Latin bonus (“good”). Doublet of bona. 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 "bonus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

angel#3,277Egypt#3,294threw#3,266thick#3,265

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

moral7 variantsmen's7 variantsJason7 variantspasses7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list