buffon

/ˈbʌf.ən/

//ˈbʌf.ən// noun

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

The verdict

“buffon” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #39,719 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#39,719
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
9
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Synonym of buffont.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

buffon vs buffy
67% similar
buffon vs buffs
67% similar
buffon vs button
67% similar

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

Key facts for buffon
PropertyValue
Headwordbuffon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌf.ən/
Letters6
Frequency rank#39,719
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs9
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “buffon” 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). buffon 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 buffon is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌf.ən/. Corpus data places it at rank #39,719 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Synonym of buffont.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for buffon, with forms such as "bbuffon", "bfufon", and "buffno". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 9 confusable-pair relationships, "buffy", "buffs", "button", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is buffon, spelled B-U-F-F-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of buffont.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbuffon,bfufon,buffno,buffonn,bufofn,bufon,ubffon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of buffon - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

bbuffon1bfufon2buffno2buffonn1bufofn2bufon1ubffon2
Edit distance from "buffon"

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 "buffon"?
"buffon" is spelled B-U-F-F-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌf.ən/.
What does "buffon" mean?
As a noun, "buffon" means: Synonym of buffont.
What words are commonly confused with "buffon"?
"buffon" is commonly confused with "buffy", "buffs", "button". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "buffon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "buffon" is /ˈbʌf.ən/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "buffon" come from?
"buffon" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “buffon”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is B-U-F-F-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈbʌf.ən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “buffy” - see the side-by-side comparison. buffon vs buffy
  • 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