bridge

/bɹɪd͡ʒ/

//bɹɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

"bridge" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bridge” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,746 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,746
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bridge vs brig
67% similar
bridge vs brie
67% similar
bridge vs bring
67% similar

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

Key facts for bridge
PropertyValue
Headwordbridge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/bɹɪd͡ʒ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,746
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bridge” 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). bridge 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 bridge is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɹɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,746 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 31 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for bridge, with forms such as "bbridge", "birdge", and "brdige". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "brig", "brie", "bring", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English brigge, from Old English brycġ (“bridge”), from Proto-Germanic *brugjō, *brugjǭ (“bridge”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw-, *bʰrēw- (“wooden flooring, decking, bridge”). Cognates Cognate with Scots brig, brigg (“bridge”), Yola burge (“… The correct English form is bridge, spelled B-R-I-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
  2. 2
    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
  3. 3
    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
  4. 4
    A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
  5. 5
    An arch or superstructure.
  6. 6
    An arch or superstructure.
  7. 7
    An arch or superstructure.
  8. 8
    An arch or superstructure.
  9. 9
    An arch or superstructure.
  10. 10
    An arch or superstructure.
  11. 11
    An arch or superstructure.
  12. 12
    A connection, real or abstract.
  13. 13
    A connection, real or abstract.
  14. 14
    A connection, real or abstract.
  15. 15
    A connection, real or abstract.
  16. 16
    A connection, real or abstract.
  17. 17
    A connection, real or abstract.
  18. 18
    A connection, real or abstract.
  19. 19
    A connection, real or abstract.
  20. 20
    A connection, real or abstract.
  21. 21
    A connection, real or abstract.
  22. 22
    A connection, real or abstract.
  23. 23
    A connection, real or abstract.
  24. 24
    A connection, real or abstract.
  25. 25
    A connection, real or abstract.
  26. 26
    Any of several electrical devices that measure characteristics such as impedance and inductance by balancing different parts of a circuit
  27. 27
    A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; a bridge wall.
  28. 28
    The situation where a lone rider or small group of riders closes the space between them and the rider or group in front.
  29. 29
    A solid crust of undissolved salt in a water softener.
  30. 30
    An elongated chain of teammates, connected to the pack, for improved blocking potential.
  31. 31
    A form of cheating by which a card is cut by previously curving it by pressure of the hand.

Etymology

From Middle English brigge, from Old English brycġ (“bridge”), from Proto-Germanic *brugjō, *brugjǭ (“bridge”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw-, *bʰrēw- (“wooden flooring, decking, bridge”). Cognates Cognate with Scots brig, brigg (“bridge”), Yola burge (“bridge”), North Frisian brag, Bröch (“bridge”), Saterland Frisian Brääch, Brääg (“bridge”), West Frisian brêge (“bridge”), Dutch brug (“bridge”), German Brücke (“bridge”), Limburgish brögk (“bridge”), Luxembourgish Bréck (“bridge”), Vilamovian bryk (“bridge”), Yiddish בריק (brik, “bridge”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål brygge (“jetty, pier, wharf”), Faroese, Icelandic bryggja (“pier”), Norwegian Nynorsk brygge, bryggje (“jetty, pier, wharf”), Swedish brygga (“bridge; pier”). The verb is from Middle English briggen, from Old English brycġian (“to bridge, make a causeway, pave”), derived from the noun. Cognate with Dutch bruggen (“to bridge”), Middle Low German bruggen (“to bridge”), Old High German bruccōn (“to bridge”) (whence Modern German brücken). The sense of a part of a stringed instrument is a semantic loan from German Steg, from Old High German steg.

This word in other languages

puente(Español)pont(Français)Brücke(Deutsch)ponte(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbridge,birdge,brdige,briddge,brideg,bridgge,brigde,brridge,rbidge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbridge1birdge2brdige2briddge1brideg2bridgge1brigde2brridge1
Edit distance from "bridge"

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 "bridge"?
"bridge" is spelled B-R-I-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /bɹɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "bridge" mean?
As a noun, "bridge" means: A construction or natural feature that spans a divide.
What words are commonly confused with "bridge"?
"bridge" is commonly confused with "brig", "brie", "bring". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bridge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bridge" is /bɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "bridge"?
From Middle English brigge, from Old English brycġ (“bridge”), from Proto-Germanic *brugjō, *brugjǭ (“bridge”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerw-, *bʰrēw- (“wooden flooring, decking, bridge”). Cognates Cognate with Scots brig, brigg (“bridge”), Yol... 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 “bridge”

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

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