bursa

/ˈbɜːsə/

//ˈbɜːsə// noun

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

"bursa" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bursa” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #46,957 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#46,957
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the many small fluid-filled sacs located at the point where a muscle or tendon slides across bone. These sacs serve to reduce friction between the two moving surfaces.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bursa vs bus
60% similar
bursa vs busy
60% similar
bursa vs bush
60% similar

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

Key facts for bursa
PropertyValue
Headwordbursa
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɜːsə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#46,957
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bursa” 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). bursa 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 bursa is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbɜːsə/. Corpus data places it at rank #46,957 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for bursa, with forms such as "bbursa", "brusa", and "buras". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "bus", "busy", "bush", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Medieval Latin bursa (“purse”), from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa); compare purse and bourse, which are doublets. The correct English form is bursa, spelled B-U-R-S-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the many small fluid-filled sacs located at the point where a muscle or tendon slides across bone. These sacs serve to reduce friction between the two moving surfaces.
  2. 2
    A diverticulum on the cloaca of young birds, which serves as a lymphatic organ and as part of the immune system, but which atrophies as the bird ages.
  3. 3
    Any of various pouch-like organs for storing semen prior to copulation in the male or for receiving semen in the female.
  4. 4
    A parament about twelve inches square in which the folded corporal is kept in for reasons of reverence.

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin bursa (“purse”), from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa); compare purse and bourse, which are doublets.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbursa,brusa,buras,burrsa,burssa,busra,ubrsa

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbursa1brusa2buras2burrsa1burssa1busra2ubrsa2
Edit distance from "bursa"

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 "bursa"?
"bursa" is spelled B-U-R-S-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɜːsə/.
What does "bursa" mean?
As a noun, "bursa" means: Any of the many small fluid-filled sacs located at the point where a muscle or tendon slides across bone. These sacs serve to reduce friction between the two moving surfaces.
What words are commonly confused with "bursa"?
"bursa" is commonly confused with "bus", "busy", "bush". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bursa"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bursa" is /ˈbɜːsə/. 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 "bursa"?
Borrowed from Medieval Latin bursa (“purse”), from Ancient Greek βύρσα (búrsa); compare purse and bourse, which are doublets. 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 “bursa”

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

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