boycott

/ˈbɔɪkɒt/

//ˈbɔɪkɒt// verb

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

The verdict

“boycott” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,444 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,444
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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.

Key facts for boycott
PropertyValue
Headwordboycott
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbɔɪkɒt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#9,444
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “boycott” 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). boycott 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 boycott is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɔɪkɒt/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,444 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "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.

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

Antonyms

This word in other languages

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.

Using “boycott”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-O-Y-C-O-T-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbɔɪkɒt/ (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
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