buffalo

/ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/

//ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“buffalo” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,663 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,663
frequency rank, English
7
letters
8
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An animal from the subtribe Bubalina, also known as true buffalos, such as the Cape buffalo, Syncerus caffer, or the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis.

Key facts for buffalo
PropertyValue
Headwordbuffalo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,663
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “buffalo” 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). buffalo 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 buffalo is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,663 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for buffalo, with forms such as "bbuffalo", "bfufalo", and "bufaflo". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish búfalo (“buffalo”), from Late Latin būfalus, from Latin būbalus, from Ancient Greek βούβαλος (boúbalos, “antelope, wild ox”). Doublet of bubale and buffle. The correct English form is buffalo, spelled B-U-F-F-A-L-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    An animal from the subtribe Bubalina, also known as true buffalos, such as the Cape buffalo, Syncerus caffer, or the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis.
  2. 2
    A related North American animal, the American bison, Bison bison.
  3. 3
    Ellipsis of buffalo robe.
  4. 4
    The buffalo fish (Ictiobus spp.).
  5. 5
    A nickel.
  6. 6
    A looter during the Civil War.
  7. 7
    A large or stupid person.
  8. 8
    An obese person, usually a woman.
  9. 9
    A black male.
  10. 10
    Ellipsis of American buffalo (“gold bullion coin”).

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish búfalo (“buffalo”), from Late Latin būfalus, from Latin būbalus, from Ancient Greek βούβαλος (boúbalos, “antelope, wild ox”). Doublet of bubale and buffle.

This word in other languages

búfalo(Español)buffle(Français)Büffel(Deutsch)búfalo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbuffalo,bfufalo,bufaflo,bufalo,buffallo,buffaol,bufflao,ubffalo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbuffalo1bfufalo2bufaflo2bufalo1buffallo1buffaol2bufflao2ubffalo2
Edit distance from "buffalo"

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 "buffalo"?
"buffalo" is spelled B-U-F-F-A-L-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/.
What does "buffalo" mean?
As a noun, "buffalo" means: An animal from the subtribe Bubalina, also known as true buffalos, such as the Cape buffalo, Syncerus caffer, or the water buffalo, Bubalus bubalis.
What are common misspellings of "buffalo"?
Common misspellings include "bbuffalo", "bfufalo", "bufaflo", "bufalo", "buffallo". The correct spelling is "buffalo".
How do you pronounce "buffalo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buffalo" is /ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/. 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 "buffalo"?
Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish búfalo (“buffalo”), from Late Latin būfalus, from Latin būbalus, from Ancient Greek βούβαλος (boúbalos, “antelope, wild ox”). Doublet of bubale and buffle. 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 “buffalo”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-U-F-F-A-L-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbʌf.əl.əʊ/ (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