Bougainville

/ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/

//ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl// name

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

"bougainville" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Bougainville” is uncommon English (frequency #62,730 among 31,241 “B” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,730
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname from French.

Key facts for Bougainville
PropertyValue
HeadwordBougainville
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/
Letters12
Frequency rank#62,730
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Bougainville” 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). Bougainville lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Bougainville is uncommon English at frequency #62,730 among 31,241 “B” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Bougainville doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French Bougainville * (placename in Papua): Named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville. The correct English form is Bougainville, spelled B-O-U-G-A-I-N-V-I-L-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname from French.
  2. 2
    A placename:
  3. 3
    A placename:
  4. 4
    A placename:

Etymology

From French Bougainville * (placename in Papua): Named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville.

This word in other languages

Bougainville(Français)

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 "Bougainville"?
"Bougainville" is spelled B-O-U-G-A-I-N-V-I-L-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/.
What does "Bougainville" mean?
As a proper noun, "Bougainville" means: A surname from French.
How do you pronounce "Bougainville"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Bougainville" is /ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/. 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 "Bougainville"?
From French Bougainville * (placename in Papua): Named for Louis Antoine de Bougainville. 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 “Bougainville”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-U-G-A-I-N-V-I-L-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈboʊɡənˌvɪl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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