bourgeois

/ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/

//ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː// adj

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

"bourgeois" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bourgeois” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,089. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,089
frequency rank, English
31,241
“B” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of or relating to the middle class (often derogatory), and their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bourgeois vs bourgeoisie
82% similar

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

Key facts for bourgeois
PropertyValue
Headwordbourgeois
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/
Letters9
Frequency rank#17,089
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bourgeois” 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). bourgeois lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around bourgeois (IPA /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,089 among 31,241 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for bourgeois, with forms such as "bbourgeois", "borugeois", and "bougreois". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "bourgeoisie", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unadapted borrowing from French bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Old French burgeis (“town dweller”), from Frankish *burg, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold; city”) (whence borough). Dou… The correct English form is bourgeois, spelled B-O-U-R-G-E-O-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of or relating to the middle class (often derogatory), and their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.
  2. 2
    Of or relating to the bourgeoisie, the third estate of the French Ancien Regime.
  3. 3
    Of or relating to the capitalist class, (usually derogatory) the capitalist exploitation of the proletariat.

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Old French burgeis (“town dweller”), from Frankish *burg, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold; city”) (whence borough). Doublet of burgess; compare also burgish.

Synonyms

square

This word in other languages

burgués(Español)bourgeois(Français)bourgeois(Deutsch)burguês(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbourgeois
  • borugeois
  • bougreois
  • bouregois
  • bourgeios
  • bourgeoiss
  • bourgeosi
  • bourggeois
  • bourgoeis
  • bourrgeois
  • buorgeois
  • oburgeois

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of bourgeois - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

bbourgeois1borugeois2bougreois2bouregois2bourgeios2bourgeoiss1bourgeosi2bourggeois1
Edit distance from "bourgeois"

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 "bourgeois"?
"bourgeois" is spelled B-O-U-R-G-E-O-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/.
What does "bourgeois" mean?
As an adjective, "bourgeois" means: Of or relating to the middle class (often derogatory), and their presumed overly conventional, conservative, and materialistic values.
What words are commonly confused with "bourgeois"?
"bourgeois" is commonly confused with "bourgeoisie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bourgeois"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bourgeois" is /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/. 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 "bourgeois"?
Unadapted borrowing from French bourgeois (“a class of citizens who were wealthier members of the Third Estate”), from Old French burgeis (“town dweller”), from Frankish *burg, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *burgz (“stronghold; city”) (whence bor... 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 “bourgeois”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-U-R-G-E-O-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɔːʒ.wɑː/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “bourgeoisie” - see the side-by-side comparison. bourgeois vs bourgeoisie
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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