busk

Name: busk, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/bʌsk/

//bʌsk// verb

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“busk” is an uncommon English word, ranked #75,691 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#75,691
frequency rank, English: 4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport.

Key facts for busk
Property	Value
Headword	busk
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/bʌsk/
Letters	4
Frequency rank	#75,691
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “busk” 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). busk lands here:

#75,691

#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 busk is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /bʌsk/. Corpus data places it at rank #75,691 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

busk has no tracked misspelling variants, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Apparently from French busquer or Spanish buscar. The correct English form is busk, spelled B-U-S-K.

Definition

1
To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport.
2
To sell articles such as obscene books in public houses etc.
3
To tack, cruise about.

Etymology

Apparently from French busquer or Spanish buscar.

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 "busk"?

"busk" is spelled B-U-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /bʌsk/.

What does "busk" mean?

As a verb, "busk" means: To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport.

How do you pronounce "busk"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "busk" is /bʌsk/. 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 "busk"?

Apparently from French busquer or Spanish buscar. 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 “busk”

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

The one correct English spelling is B-U-S-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /bʌsk/ (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.