abacus

/ˈæbəkəs/

//ˈæbəkəs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“abacus” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #44,033. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#44,033
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A table or tray scattered with sand which was used for calculating or drawing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-abacus · abacus · English

abacus · rank #44,033 · 8 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #44,033
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Abbotsford

Nearest frequency peer: Abbotsford (+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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “abacus”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abacus vs amicus
67% similar
abacus vs aback
67% similar

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

Key facts for abacus
PropertyValue
Headwordabacus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæbəkəs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#44,033
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “abacus”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).abacuslands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Abbotsford” (#44,034), “Abkhazia” (#44,035), “abolitionists” (#44,036). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “abacus” is #44,033. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around abacus (IPA /ˈæbəkəs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #44,033 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for abacus, with forms such as "aabcus", "abaccus", and "abacsu". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "amicus", "aback", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Middle English abacus, abagus, agabus (“abacus; art of counting with an abacus”), from Latin abacus, abax (“sideboard or table with a slab at the top; slab at the top of a column; counting board, sand table; board for playing games”) (compare Late… The correct English form is abacus, spelled A-B-A-C-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A table or tray scattered with sand which was used for calculating or drawing.
  2. 2
    A device used for performing arithmetical calculations; (rare) a table on which loose counters are placed, or (more commonly) an instrument with beads sliding on rods, or counters in grooves, with one row of beads or counters representing units, the next tens, etc.
  3. 3
    The uppermost portion of the capital of a column immediately under the architrave, in some cases a flat oblong or square slab, in others more decorated.
  4. 4
    A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments for holding bottles, cups, or the like; a kind of buffet, cupboard, or sideboard.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how abacus appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He [Gerebertus] was þe firste þat took abacus of Sarsyns, and ȝaf rules þerynne, þat mowe unneþe be understonde of þe kunnyngeste men of þe craft, þe whiche craftes men beþ cleped abaciste. Marianus. Abacus is a table wiþ þhe whiche schappes be portrayed and i-peynt in powdre, and abacus is a craft of geometrie.
  2. [H]e set fondly and furiously to work upon [Thomas] Simpson's Euclid, [...] The smooth grassy sod answered all the purposes of the abacus, and the cows generously supplied him in a substitute for sand. Spreading and smoothing that substitute with his bear foot, he engraved upon it with his finger the mystic lines and letters; and, with book in hand, proce…

Etymology

From Late Middle English abacus, abagus, agabus (“abacus; art of counting with an abacus”), from Latin abacus, abax (“sideboard or table with a slab at the top; slab at the top of a column; counting board, sand table; board for playing games”) (compare Late Latin abacus (“art of arithmetic”)), from Ancient Greek ἄβαξ (ábax, “slab, counting board; board covered with sand for drawing; plate; dice-board”). Doublet of abaque. The plural form abaci is reinforced from Latin abacī.

This word in other languages

ábaco(Español)abaque(Français)Abakus(Deutsch)ábaco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aabcus
  • abaccus
  • abacsu
  • abacuss
  • abaucs
  • abbacus
  • abcaus
  • baacus

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aabcus2abaccus1abacsu2abacuss1abaucs2abbacus1abcaus2baacus2
Edit distance from "abacus"

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 "abacus"?
"abacus" is spelled A-B-A-C-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæbəkəs/.
What does "abacus" mean?
As a noun, "abacus" means: A table or tray scattered with sand which was used for calculating or drawing.
What words are commonly confused with "abacus"?
"abacus" is commonly confused with "amicus", "aback". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abacus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abacus" is /ˈæbəkəs/. 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 "abacus"?
From Late Middle English abacus, abagus, agabus (“abacus; art of counting with an abacus”), from Latin abacus, abax (“sideboard or table with a slab at the top; slab at the top of a column; counting board, sand table; board for playing games”) (co... 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 "abacus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

acetic#44,039Yousef#44,025Yellen#44,023Akhtar#44,047

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

aimless8 variantsAldous8 variantsamoral8 variantsArgonne8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list