burst

/bɝst/

//bɝst// verb

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

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

The verdict

“burst” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,579 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#5,579
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To break from internal pressure.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

burst vs but
60% similar
burst vs bus
60% similar
burst vs busy
60% similar

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

Key facts for burst
PropertyValue
Headwordburst
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/bɝst/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,579
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “burst” 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). burst 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 burst is 5 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bɝst/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,579 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 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 burst, with forms such as "bburst", "brust", and "burrst". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "but", "bus", "busy", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English bresten, bersten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰres- (“to burst, break, crack, split, separate”), enlargement of *bʰreHi- (“to snip, split”). See a… The correct English form is burst, spelled B-U-R-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To break from internal pressure.
  2. 2
    To cause to break from internal pressure.
  3. 3
    To cause to break by any means.
  4. 4
    To separate (printer paper) at perforation lines.
  5. 5
    To enter or exit hurriedly and unexpectedly.
  6. 6
    To erupt; to change state suddenly as if bursting.
  7. 7
    To produce as an effect of bursting.
  8. 8
    To interrupt suddenly in a violent or explosive manner; to shatter.

Etymology

From Middle English bresten, bersten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰres- (“to burst, break, crack, split, separate”), enlargement of *bʰreHi- (“to snip, split”). See also West Frisian boarste, Dutch barsten, Danish briste, Swedish brista; also Irish bris (“to break”)). More at brine. Also cognate to debris.

This word in other languages

reventar(Español)éclater(Français)platzen(Deutsch)arrebentar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bburst,brust,burrst,bursst,burstt,burts,busrt,ubrst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bburst1brust2burrst1bursst1burstt1burts2busrt2ubrst2
Edit distance from "burst"

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 "burst"?
"burst" is spelled B-U-R-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /bɝst/.
What does "burst" mean?
As a verb, "burst" means: To break from internal pressure.
What words are commonly confused with "burst"?
"burst" is commonly confused with "but", "bus", "busy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "burst"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "burst" is /bɝst/. 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 "burst"?
From Middle English bresten, bersten, from Old English berstan, from Proto-West Germanic *brestan, from Proto-Germanic *brestaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰres- (“to burst, break, crack, split, separate”), enlargement of *bʰreHi- (“to snip, spli... 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 “burst”

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

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