Boyce

/bɔɪs/

//bɔɪs// name

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

The verdict

“Boyce” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,020 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#26,020
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An English habitational surname from Old French for someone living near the woods.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Boyce vs bye
40% similar
Boyce vs boys
40% similar
Boyce vs Boyd
60% similar

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

Key facts for Boyce
PropertyValue
HeadwordBoyce
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/bɔɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#26,020
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Boyce” 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). Boyce 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 Boyce is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɔɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,020 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Boyce, with forms such as "bboyce", "bocye", and "boycce". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bye", "boys", "Boyd", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French bois (“wood”). The correct English form is Boyce, spelled B-O-Y-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An English habitational surname from Old French for someone living near the woods.
  2. 2
    A male given name transferred from the surname.
  3. 3
    A town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States.
  4. 4
    A neighbourhood of Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States.
  5. 5
    A town in Clarke County, Virginia, United States.

Etymology

From Old French bois (“wood”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bboyce,bocye,boycce,boyec,boyyce,byoce,obyce

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bboyce1bocye2boycce1boyec2boyyce1byoce2obyce2
Edit distance from "Boyce"

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 "Boyce"?
"Boyce" is spelled B-O-Y-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bɔɪs/.
What does "Boyce" mean?
As a proper noun, "Boyce" means: An English habitational surname from Old French for someone living near the woods.
What words are commonly confused with "Boyce"?
"Boyce" is commonly confused with "bye", "boys", "Boyd". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Boyce"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Boyce" is /bɔɪs/. 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 "Boyce"?
From Old French bois (“wood”). 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 “Boyce”

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

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