boost

/buːst/

//buːst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“boost” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,545. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,545
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A push from behind or below, as to one who is endeavoring to climb.

Corpus desk

Index EN-boost · boost · English

boost · rank #3,545 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,545
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH banned

Nearest frequency peer: banned (-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 “boost”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “boost” 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).

boost vs bot
60% similar
boost vs boys
60% similar
boost vs boss
60% similar

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

Key facts for boost
PropertyValue
Headwordboost
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/buːst/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,545
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “boost”

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).boostlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “banned” (#3,544), “bureau” (#3,546), “aspect” (#3,543). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “boost” is #3,545. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around boost (IPA /buːst/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,545 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for boost, with forms such as "bboost", "boosst", and "boostt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bot", "boys", "boss", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast. The correct English form is boost, spelled B-O-O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A push from behind or below, as to one who is endeavoring to climb.
  2. 2
    Something that helps, or adds power or effectiveness; assistance.
  3. 3
    A coordinate transformation that changes velocity.
  4. 4
    A positive intake manifold pressure in cars with turbochargers or superchargers.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The controversy gave a boost to the author's sales.

Etymology

Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast.

This word in other languages

impulso(Español)Unterstützung(Deutsch)impulso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bboost
  • boosst
  • boostt
  • bosot
  • bost
  • obost

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bboost1boosst1boostt1bosot2bost1obost2
Edit distance from "boost"

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 "boost"?
"boost" is spelled B-O-O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /buːst/.
What does "boost" mean?
As a noun, "boost" means: A push from behind or below, as to one who is endeavoring to climb.
What words are commonly confused with "boost"?
"boost" is commonly confused with "bot", "boys", "boss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "boost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "boost" is /buːst/. 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 "boost"?
Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast. 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 "boost", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

crack#3,551virus#3,537Vegas#3,536trash#3,534

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

deck6 variantsugly6 variantsdust6 variantssuck6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list