counterbalance

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

/ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/

//ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed September 3, 2026

The verdict

“counterbalance” has 22 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,758. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,758
frequency rank, English: 5,599
“C” headwords: 22
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A weight that is put in opposition to an equal weight so it keeps that in balance.

Corpus desk

Index EN-counterbalance · counterbalance · English

counterbalance · rank #39,758 · 22 variants · 0 confusables

FREQ-MID #39,758
LEN-MEGA 14 letters
VOW-6 6 vowels
CONFUS-0 No pairs
VAR-HIGH 22 variants
BOOK-DENSE 5,599
PHOTO-FINISH courtiers

Nearest frequency peer: courtiers (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

coos

60,246
corollary

60,245
counterbala…

60,243
courtiers

60,242
cringing

60,241
Cui

60,240

What this shows “counterbalance” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Key facts for counterbalance
Property	Value
Headword	counterbalance
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/
Letters	14
Frequency rank	#39,758
Misspellings tracked	22
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “counterbalance”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).counterbalancelands here:

#39,758

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “courtiers” (#39,759), “corollary” (#39,756), “cringing” (#39,760). Among 5,599 “C” headwords, “counterbalance” is #39,758. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 22 spelling variants around counterbalance (IPA /ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,758 among 5,599 “C” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 22 likely wrong-spelling variants for counterbalance, with forms such as "ccounterbalance", "conuterbalance", and "counetrbalance". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From counter- + balance. The correct English form is counterbalance, spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-B-A-L-A-N-C-E.

Definition

1
A weight that is put in opposition to an equal weight so it keeps that in balance.
2
A force or influence that balances, checks or limits an opposite one.

Etymology

From counter- + balance.

Synonyms

counterpoise counterweigh equipoise

This word in other languages

contrabalanza(Español)contrepoids(Français)Gegengewicht(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

ccounterbalance
conuterbalance
counetrbalance
counnterbalance
countebralance
counterablance
counterbaalnce
counterbalacne
counterbalancce
counterbalanec
counterbalannce
counterbalence
counterballance
counterbalnace
counterbbalance
counterblaance
counterrbalance
countrebalance
countterbalance
coutnerbalance
cuonterbalance
ocunterbalance

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "counterbalance"

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 "counterbalance"?

"counterbalance" is spelled C-O-U-N-T-E-R-B-A-L-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/.

What does "counterbalance" mean?

As a noun, "counterbalance" means: A weight that is put in opposition to an equal weight so it keeps that in balance.

What are common misspellings of "counterbalance"?

Common misspellings include "ccounterbalance", "conuterbalance", "counetrbalance", "counnterbalance", "countebralance". The correct spelling is "counterbalance".

How do you pronounce "counterbalance"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "counterbalance" is /ˌkaʊntəˈbæləns/. 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 "counterbalance"?

From counter- + balance. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "counterbalance", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 14 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gerrymandering#39,825 traditionalist#39,616 congratulation#40,180 congratulatory#40,181

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (22 here; floor ≥5).

individualistic22 variants cryptographic22 variants developmentally22 variants unrecognizable22 variants