ablaze

/əˈbleɪz/

//əˈbleɪz// adj

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

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

The verdict

“ablaze” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,424. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,424
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ablaze · ablaze · English

ablaze · rank #31,424 · 8 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #31,424
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH Abbie

Nearest frequency peer: Abbie (-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 “ablaze”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ablaze” 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).

ablaze vs able
67% similar
ablaze vs amaze
67% similar
ablaze vs abate
67% similar

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

Key facts for ablaze
PropertyValue
Headwordablaze
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈbleɪz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,424
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ablaze”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).ablazelands 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 “Abbie” (#31,423), “Adriatic” (#31,425), “Aegean” (#31,426). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “ablaze” is #31,424. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around ablaze (IPA /əˈbleɪz/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #31,424 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for ablaze, with forms such as "abalze", "abblaze", and "ablaez". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "able", "amaze", "abate", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From a- (“on, in”) + blaze (“flame”). The correct English form is ablaze, spelled A-B-L-A-Z-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire.
  2. 2
    Radiant with bright light and color.
  3. 3
    In a state of glowing excitement, ardent desire, or other strong emotion.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1791, The Bee, Volume 4, Short Chronicle of Events, 27 July, 1791, p. v, On entering the walls which surround the house, then all ablaze, a most dreadful conflict took place […]
  2. The canoe, a dim shadowy thing, moves across the black water, / Bearing a torch ablaze at the prow.

Etymology

From a- (“on, in”) + blaze (“flame”).

Synonyms

afireaflame

This word in other languages

ardiendo(Español)embrasé(Français)lodernd(Deutsch)ardente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • abalze
  • abblaze
  • ablaez
  • ablazze
  • abllaze
  • ablzae
  • albaze
  • balaze

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abalze2abblaze1ablaez2ablazze1abllaze1ablzae2albaze2balaze2
Edit distance from "ablaze"

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 "ablaze"?
"ablaze" is spelled A-B-L-A-Z-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbleɪz/.
What does "ablaze" mean?
As an adjective, "ablaze" means: Burning fiercely; in a blaze; on fire.
What words are commonly confused with "ablaze"?
"ablaze" is commonly confused with "able", "amaze", "abate". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ablaze"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ablaze" is /əˈbleɪz/. 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 "ablaze"?
From a- (“on, in”) + blaze (“flame”). 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 "ablaze", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Aegean#31,426whitey#31,410Bilbao#31,456bogart#31,459

Similar misspelling depth

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

assesses8 variantstonnage8 variantsbusier8 variantscooley8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list