butler

/ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/

//ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“butler” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #6,219 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#6,219
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

butler vs buyer
67% similar
butler vs butte
67% similar
butler vs butter
83% similar

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

Key facts for butler
PropertyValue
Headwordbutler
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#6,219
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “butler” 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). butler 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 butler is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #6,219 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for butler, with forms such as "bbutler", "btuler", and "bulter". 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, "buyer", "butte", "butter", 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 butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er. Piecewise doublet of bottler. The correct English form is butler, spelled B-U-T-L-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
  2. 2
    The chief male servant of a household who has charge of other employees, receives guests, directs the serving of meals, and performs various personal services.
  3. 3
    A valet, a male personal attendant.

Etymology

From Middle English butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er. Piecewise doublet of bottler.

Synonyms

footman

This word in other languages

sumiller(Español)sommelier(Français)Butler(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: bbutler,btuler,bulter,butelr,butlerr,butller,butlre,buttler,ubtler

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of butler - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

bbutler1btuler2bulter2butelr2butlerr1butller1butlre2buttler1
Edit distance from "butler"

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 "butler"?
"butler" is spelled B-U-T-L-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/.
What does "butler" mean?
As a noun, "butler" means: A manservant having charge of wines and liquors.
What words are commonly confused with "butler"?
"butler" is commonly confused with "buyer", "butte", "butter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "butler"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "butler" is /ˈbʌt.lə(ɹ)/. 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 "butler"?
From Middle English butler, butlere, boteler, botelere, from Old French buttiler, butiller, boteillier (“officer in charge of wine”), from Medieval Latin botellārius, equivalent to bottle + -er. Piecewise doublet of bottler. 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 “butler”

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

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