How Do You Spell BUFFALO?

Pronunciation: [bˈʌfəlˌə͡ʊ] (IPA)

The word "buffalo" is quite confusing when it comes to spelling. It actually has an IPA phonetic transcription of /ˈbʌfəloʊ/. The spelling seems to be odd because there are two different meanings of this word. It can be used for either the place buffalo located in New York or for the animal named buffalo. This word has eight letters but can be pronounced with only three of them. It's one of the most peculiar and challenging words to spell, even for native English speakers.

BUFFALO Meaning and Definition

  1. Buffalo, as a noun, refers to a large, powerful mammal from the Bovidae family. They typically have a shaggy, dark coat of fur and are known for their distinctly curved horns. The term "buffalo" is commonly used to describe two distinct species: the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) and the American bison (Bison bison).

    The African buffalo, also known as the Cape buffalo, is primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. It has a massive build, with males weighing up to 1,500 kilograms (3,300 pounds), making it one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Its characteristic horns sweep backward and meet at the forehead, forming a thick shield-like structure.

    The American bison, colloquially referred to as the buffalo, roamed the vast grasslands of North America. Though its physical appearance is similar to the African buffalo, the American bison is slightly smaller and has a distinctive hump on its back. It was once a symbol of the American West and played a significant role in Native American culture.

    Beyond the specific species, "buffalo" is also used in more general terms to refer to large herding animals resembling the buffalo, such as the water buffalo found in Asia or the European bison. Additionally, "buffalo" can also be utilized as a verb, meaning to confuse or deceive, often in relation to a particular processes or situations.

  2. A kind of wild ox.

    Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Top Common Misspellings for BUFFALO *

* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.

Other Common Misspellings for BUFFALO

Etymology of BUFFALO

The word "buffalo" has an interesting etymology. It ultimately comes from the Portuguese word "bufalo", which was borrowed from the Italian "bufalo" or "buffalo" (in Latin, "buffalus"). This Italian term, in turn, was derived from the Late Latin word "buffalos" or "buffalus", meaning "wild ox".

The Latin word was likely borrowed from a source such as Greek or Arabic, where similar words for "wild ox" exist. Greek, for instance, has the word "boukalos", and Arabic has "bufalu". These words can be traced back to an even earlier root, around the time of Ancient Mesopotamia, where "bufalu" was used in the Akkadian language.

Interestingly, the word "buffalo" as we commonly use it today refers to the American bison, which is not a true buffalo.

Idioms with the word BUFFALO

  • double buffalo

Similar spelling words for BUFFALO

Plural form of BUFFALO is BUFFALOES

Conjugate verb Buffalo

CONDITIONAL

I would buffalo
you would buffalo
he/she/it would buffalo
we would buffalo
they would buffalo

CONDITIONAL CONTINUOUS

I would be buffaloing
you would be buffaloing
he/she/it would be buffaloing
we would be buffaloing
they would be buffaloing

CONDITIONAL PERFECT

I would have buffalo
you would have buffalo
he/she/it would have buffalo
we would have buffalo
they would have buffalo

CONDITIONAL PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I would have been buffaloing
you would have been buffaloing
he/she/it would have been buffaloing
we would have been buffaloing
they would have been buffaloing

FUTURE

I will buffalo
you will buffalo
he/she/it will buffalo
we will buffalo
they will buffalo

FUTURE CONTINUOUS

I will be buffaloing
you will be buffaloing
he/she/it will be buffaloing
we will be buffaloing
they will be buffaloing

FUTURE PERFECT

I will have buffaloed
you will have buffaloed
he/she/it will have buffaloed
we will have buffaloed
they will have buffaloed

FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I will have been buffaloing
you will have been buffaloing
he/she/it will have been buffaloing
we will have been buffaloing
they will have been buffaloing

IMPERATIVE

you buffalo
we let´s buffalo

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

to buffalo

PAST

I buffaloed
you buffaloed
he/she/it buffaloed
we buffaloed
they buffaloed

PAST CONTINUOUS

I was buffaloing
you were buffaloing
he/she/it was buffaloing
we were buffaloing
they were buffaloing

PAST PARTICIPLE

buffaloed

PAST PERFECT

I had buffaloed
you had buffaloed
he/she/it had buffaloed
we had buffaloed
they had buffaloed

PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I had been buffaloing
you had been buffaloing
he/she/it had been buffaloing
we had been buffaloing
they had been buffaloing

PRESENT

I buffalo
you buffalo
he/she/it buffaloes
we buffalo
they buffalo

PRESENT CONTINUOUS

I am buffaloing
you are buffaloing
he/she/it is buffaloing
we are buffaloing
they are buffaloing

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

buffaloing

PRESENT PERFECT

I have buffaloed
you have buffaloed
he/she/it has buffaloed
we have buffaloed
they have buffaloed

PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS

I have been buffaloing
you have been buffaloing
he/she/it has been buffaloing
we have been buffaloing
they have been buffaloing

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