bother

/ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/

//ˈbɔðə(ɹ)// verb

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

"bother" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bother” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,672 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#3,672
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bother vs boxer
67% similar
bother vs bower
67% similar
bother vs boyer
67% similar

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

Key facts for bother
PropertyValue
Headwordbother
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,672
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bother” 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). bother 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 bother is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,672 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bother, with forms such as "bbother", "bohter", and "botehr". 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, "boxer", "bower", "boyer", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perh… The correct English form is bother, spelled B-O-T-H-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
  2. 2
    To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
  3. 3
    To feel care or concern; to burden or inconvenience oneself out of concern.
  4. 4
    To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).
  5. 5
    To take the trouble, to trouble oneself (to do something).

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at potter. Perhaps related to Irish bodhaire (“noise”), Irish bodhraim (“to deafen, annoy”).

This word in other languages

molestar(Español)bâdrer(Français)stören(Deutsch)incomodar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbother,bohter,botehr,botherr,bothher,bothre,botther,btoher,obther

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbother1bohter2botehr2botherr1bothher1bothre2botther1btoher2
Edit distance from "bother"

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 "bother"?
"bother" is spelled B-O-T-H-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɔðə(ɹ)/.
What does "bother" mean?
As a verb, "bother" means: To annoy, to disturb, to irritate; to be troublesome to, to make trouble for.
What words are commonly confused with "bother"?
"bother" is commonly confused with "boxer", "bower", "boyer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bother"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bother" is /ˈbɔðə(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 "bother"?
Borrowed from Scots bauther, bather (“to bother”). Origin unknown. Perhaps related to Scots pother (“to make a stir or commotion, bustle”), also of unknown origin. Compare English pother (“to poke, prod”), variant of potter (“to poke”). More at po... 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 “bother”

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

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