Aarau

/ˈɑːɹaʊ/

//ˈɑːɹaʊ// name

"aarau" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Aarau” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a proper noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A municipality and town, the capital of Aargau canton, in northern Switzerland; capital of the Helvetic Republic between 1798 and 1803.

Key facts for Aarau
PropertyValue
HeadwordAarau
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈɑːɹaʊ/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Aarau” sits in English frequency

Aarau falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for Aarau is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɑːɹaʊ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A municipality and town, the capital of Aargau canton, in northern Switzerland; capital of the Helvetic Republic between 1798 and 1803.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for Aarau, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is Aarau, spelled A-A-R-A-U.

Definition

  1. 1
    A municipality and town, the capital of Aargau canton, in northern Switzerland; capital of the Helvetic Republic between 1798 and 1803.

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Aarau"?
"Aarau" is spelled A-A-R-A-U. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑːɹaʊ/.
What does "Aarau" mean?
As a proper noun, "Aarau" means: A municipality and town, the capital of Aargau canton, in northern Switzerland; capital of the Helvetic Republic between 1798 and 1803.
How do you pronounce "Aarau"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Aarau" is /ˈɑːɹaʊ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Aarau" come from?
"Aarau" is a English word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “Aarau”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-A-R-A-U - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑːɹaʊ/ (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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list