bust

/ˈbʌst/

//ˈbʌst// verb

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

"bust" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“bust” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,662 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#6,662
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

bust vs but
75% similar
bust vs buy
50% similar
bust vs busy
75% similar

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

Key facts for bust
PropertyValue
Headwordbust
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈbʌst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,662
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “bust” 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). bust 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 bust is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌst/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,662 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for bust, with forms such as "bbust", "bsut", and "busst". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "but", "buy", "busy", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English busten, a variant of bursten, bresten (“to burst”). Compare Low German basten, a variant of barsten (“to burst”). Cognate with burst and bost. The correct English form is bust, spelled B-U-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To break.
  2. 2
    To arrest (someone or a group of people) for a crime.
  3. 3
    To catch (someone) in the act of doing something wrong, socially and morally inappropriate, or illegal, especially when being done in a sneaky or secretive state.
  4. 4
    To debunk, dispel (a belief).
  5. 5
    An emphatic synonym of do or get.
  6. 6
    To reduce in rank.
  7. 7
    To undo a trade, generally an error trade, that has already been executed.
  8. 8
    To lose all of one's chips.
  9. 9
    To exceed a score of 21.
  10. 10
    To break in (an animal).
  11. 11
    To break in (a woman or girl), to deflower
  12. 12
    To ejaculate; to eject semen or to squirt.
  13. 13
    For a headline to exceed the amount of space reserved for it.
  14. 14
    To refute an established opening.
  15. 15
    To shoot (a gun).
  16. 16
    To attack, hit or insult (someone).
  17. 17
    To do or perform; to move quickly.

Etymology

From Middle English busten, a variant of bursten, bresten (“to burst”). Compare Low German basten, a variant of barsten (“to burst”). Cognate with burst and bost.

Synonyms

nick

This word in other languages

reventar(Español)éclater(Français)bersten(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbust,bsut,busst,bustt,buts,ubst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bbust1bsut2busst1bustt1buts2ubst2
Edit distance from "bust"

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 "bust"?
"bust" is spelled B-U-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌst/.
What does "bust" mean?
As a verb, "bust" means: To break.
What words are commonly confused with "bust"?
"bust" is commonly confused with "but", "buy", "busy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "bust"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "bust" is /ˈbʌst/. 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 "bust"?
From Middle English busten, a variant of bursten, bresten (“to burst”). Compare Low German basten, a variant of barsten (“to burst”). Cognate with burst and bost. 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 “bust”

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

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