abject

/ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/

//ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“abject” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,803 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#28,803
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abject vs affect
67% similar
abject vs aspect
67% similar
abject vs absent
67% similar

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

Key facts for abject
PropertyValue
Headwordabject
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#28,803
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abject” 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). abject 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 abject is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,803 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 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 abject, with forms such as "abbject", "abejct", and "abjcet". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "affect", "aspect", "absent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *h₂epó The adjective is derived from Late Middle English abiect, abject (adjective) [and other forms], from Middle French abject (modern French abject, abjet (obsolete)), and from its etymon Latin abiectus (“abandoned; cast aside”), an adjective u… The correct English form is abject, spelled A-B-J-E-C-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable.
  2. 2
    Complete; downright; utter.
  3. 3
    Lower than nearby areas; low-lying.
  4. 4
    Of a person: cast down in hope or spirit; showing utter helplessness, hopelessness, or resignation; also, grovelling; ingratiating; servile.
  5. 5
    Marginalized as deviant.

Etymology

PIE word *h₂epó The adjective is derived from Late Middle English abiect, abject (adjective) [and other forms], from Middle French abject (modern French abject, abjet (obsolete)), and from its etymon Latin abiectus (“abandoned; cast aside”), an adjective use of the perfect passive participle of abiciō (“to discard, throw away”), from ab- (prefix meaning ‘away from’) + iaciō (“to throw”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(H)yeh₁- (“to throw”)). The noun is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Italian abiecto (obsolete), abietto * Late Latin abiectus (“humble or poor person”, noun) * Spanish abjecto (obsolete), abyecto

This word in other languages

abyecto(Español)abject(Français)abjekt(Deutsch)abjeto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbject,abejct,abjcet,abjecct,abjectt,abjetc,abjject,ajbect,baject

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abbject1abejct2abjcet2abjecct1abjectt1abjetc2abjject1ajbect2
Edit distance from "abject"

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 "abject"?
"abject" is spelled A-B-J-E-C-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/.
What does "abject" mean?
As an adjective, "abject" means: Existing in or sunk to a low condition, position, or state; contemptible, despicable, miserable.
What words are commonly confused with "abject"?
"abject" is commonly confused with "affect", "aspect", "absent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abject"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abject" is /ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/. 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 "abject"?
PIE word *h₂epó The adjective is derived from Late Middle English abiect, abject (adjective) [and other forms], from Middle French abject (modern French abject, abjet (obsolete)), and from its etymon Latin abiectus (“abandoned; cast aside”), an a... 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 “abject”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-J-E-C-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæbd͡ʒɛkt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “affect” - see the side-by-side comparison. abject vs affect
  • 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