broadcast

/ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst/

//ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst// adj

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

The verdict

“broadcast” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,673. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,673
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Cast or scattered widely in all directions; cast abroad.

Corpus desk

Index EN-broadcast · broadcast · English

broadcast · rank #3,673 · 14 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,673
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bother

Nearest frequency peer: bother (-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 “broadcast”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “broadcast” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

broadcast vs broadest
78% similar
broadcast vs broadcaster
82% similar

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

Key facts for broadcast
PropertyValue
Headwordbroadcast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst/
Letters9
Frequency rank#3,673
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “broadcast”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).broadcastlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “bother” (#3,672), “bye” (#3,674), “bench” (#3,671). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “broadcast” is #3,673. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around broadcast (IPA /ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,673 among 4,121 “B” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for broadcast, with forms such as "bbroadcast", "boradcast", and "braodcast". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "broadest", "broadcaster", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-der.? Proto-Germanic *braidaz Proto-West Germanic *braid Old English brād Middle English brod English broad Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast English … The correct English form is broadcast, spelled B-R-O-A-D-C-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Cast or scattered widely in all directions; cast abroad.
  2. 2
    Communicated, signalled, or transmitted to many people, through radio waves or electronic means.
  3. 3
    Relating to transmissions of messages or signals to many people through radio waves or electronic means.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The seed was broadcast, not drilled.
  2. And ſuch a double Sowing is of the greateſt Importance; for on the thick Growth of a Crop very much depends on the Bigneſs of it at Harveſt, becauſe, by ſuch a thick Growth, the Weeds are overcome and kept down from hurting the Oats; and, likewiſe, the Heats and Droughts kept the better out from parching up the Roots of the Oats, which, in too thin a Crop…

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-der.? Proto-Germanic *braidaz Proto-West Germanic *braid Old English brād Middle English brod English broad Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cast English broadcast From broad + cast. First attested in the mid 18th century, in the agricultural use of spreading seeds.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bbroadcast
  • boradcast
  • braodcast
  • broacdast
  • broadacst
  • broadcasst
  • broadcastt
  • broadcats
  • broadccast
  • broadcsat
  • broaddcast
  • brodacast
  • brroadcast
  • rboadcast

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of broadcast - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbroadcast1boradcast2braodcast2broacdast2broadacst2broadcasst1broadcastt1broadcats2
Edit distance from "broadcast"

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 "broadcast"?
"broadcast" is spelled B-R-O-A-D-C-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst/.
What does "broadcast" mean?
As an adjective, "broadcast" means: Cast or scattered widely in all directions; cast abroad.
What words are commonly confused with "broadcast"?
"broadcast" is commonly confused with "broadest", "broadcaster". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "broadcast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "broadcast" is /ˈbɹɔːdkɑːst/. 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 "broadcast"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰer-der.? Proto-Germanic *braidaz Proto-West Germanic *braid Old English brād Middle English brod English broad Proto-Germanic *kas- Proto-Germanic *kastōną Old Norse kastabor. Middle English casten English cas... 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 "broadcast", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list