bore

/bɔː(ɹ)/

//bɔː(ɹ)// verb

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

"bore" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bore” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,889 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#7,889
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To inspire boredom in somebody.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bore vs br
50% similar
bore vs boy
50% similar
bore vs box
50% similar

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

Key facts for bore
PropertyValue
Headwordbore
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɔː(ɹ)/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,889
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bore” 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). bore 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 bore is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɔː(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,889 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for bore, with forms such as "bbore", "borre", and "broe". 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, "br", "boy", "box", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English boren, from Old English borian (“to pierce”), from Proto-West Germanic *borōn, from Proto-Germanic *burōną. Compare Danish bore, Norwegian Bokmål bore, Dutch boren, German bohren, Old Norse bora. Cognate with Latin forō (“to bore, to pie… The correct English form is bore, spelled B-O-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To inspire boredom in somebody.
  2. 2
    To make a hole through something.
  3. 3
    To make a hole with, or as if with, a boring instrument; to cut a circular hole by the rotary motion of a tool.
  4. 4
    To form or enlarge (something) by means of a boring instrument or apparatus.
  5. 5
    To make (a passage) by laborious effort, as in boring; to force a narrow and difficult passage through.
  6. 6
    To be pierced or penetrated by an instrument that cuts as it turns.
  7. 7
    To glare (as if to drill a hole with the eyes).
  8. 8
    To push or drive (a boxer into the ropes, a boat out of its course, etc.).
  9. 9
    To push forward in a certain direction with laborious effort.
  10. 10
    To fool; to trick.

Etymology

From Middle English boren, from Old English borian (“to pierce”), from Proto-West Germanic *borōn, from Proto-Germanic *burōną. Compare Danish bore, Norwegian Bokmål bore, Dutch boren, German bohren, Old Norse bora. Cognate with Latin forō (“to bore, to pierce”), Latin feriō (“strike, cut”) and Albanian birë (“hole”). Sense of wearying may come from a figurative use such as "to bore the ears"; compare German drillen.

Synonyms

make a hole

Antonyms

interest

This word in other languages

perforar(Español)percer(Français)bohren(Deutsch)cavar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbore,borre,broe,obre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbore1borre1broe2obre2
Edit distance from "bore"

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 "bore"?
"bore" is spelled B-O-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bɔː(ɹ)/.
What does "bore" mean?
As a verb, "bore" means: To inspire boredom in somebody.
What words are commonly confused with "bore"?
"bore" is commonly confused with "br", "boy", "box". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bore"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bore" is /bɔː(ɹ)/. 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 "bore"?
From Middle English boren, from Old English borian (“to pierce”), from Proto-West Germanic *borōn, from Proto-Germanic *burōną. Compare Danish bore, Norwegian Bokmål bore, Dutch boren, German bohren, Old Norse bora. Cognate with Latin forō (“to bo... 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 “bore”

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

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