boycott

/ˈbɔɪkɒt/

//ˈbɔɪkɒt// verb

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

"boycott" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“boycott” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #9,444. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#9,444
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest.

Corpus desk

Index EN-boycott · boycott · English

boycott · rank #9,444 · 9 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #9,444
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bidding

Nearest frequency peer: bidding (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “boycott”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “boycott” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for boycott
PropertyValue
Headwordboycott
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbɔɪkɒt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,444
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “boycott”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).boycottlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “bidding” (#9,443), “bricks” (#9,445), “battalion” (#9,442). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “boycott” is #9,444. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around boycott (IPA /ˈbɔɪkɒt/), averb. Corpus frequency is #9,444 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for boycott, with forms such as "bboycott", "bocyott", and "boyccott". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree English Charles Boycott English boycott From Charles Boycott, an English evicting land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. For the surname see Boycott. The correct English form is boycott, spelled B-O-Y-C-O-T-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how boycott appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. There is probably not a citizen in the United States who wears a hat that has not heard of John Stetson, and does not know that the Stetson hat is one of if not the best made. For some cause the Knights [of Labor] have boycotted the Stetson hats, and have notified all dealers that if they sell them they also will be boycotted.
  2. Unbowed after two years in jail, nine of the defendants boycotted the trial, refusing even to talk to their lawyers.

Etymology

Etymology tree English Charles Boycott English boycott From Charles Boycott, an English evicting land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. For the surname see Boycott.

Synonyms

blackballblacklistembargoblackboycottcancel

Antonyms

buycottendorsefavourprocott

This word in other languages

boycotter(Français)boykottieren(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bboycott
  • bocyott
  • boyccott
  • boycot
  • boyctot
  • boyoctt
  • boyycott
  • byocott
  • obycott

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bboycott1bocyott2boyccott1boycot1boyctot2boyoctt2boyycott1byocott2
Edit distance from "boycott"

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 "boycott"?
"boycott" is spelled B-O-Y-C-O-T-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɔɪkɒt/.
What does "boycott" mean?
As a verb, "boycott" means: To abstain, either as an individual or a group, from using, buying, or dealing with someone or some organization as an expression of protest.
What are common misspellings of "boycott"?
Common misspellings include "bboycott", "bocyott", "boyccott", "boycot", "boyctot". The correct spelling is "boycott".
How do you pronounce "boycott"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "boycott" is /ˈbɔɪkɒt/. 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 "boycott"?
Etymology tree English Charles Boycott English boycott From Charles Boycott, an English evicting land agent in Ireland who was subject to a boycott organized by the Irish Land League in 1880. For the surname see Boycott. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "boycott", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

bidding#9,443buddies#9,447Chester#9,451cuisine#9,455

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

barber9 variantsarcher9 variantscoding9 variantsAlbany9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list