about
/əˈbaʊ̯t/preposition, adverb, adjective, verb
about is spelled A-B-O-U-T. The wrong spelling people search most is abiut: about 140 Bing searches a month in the United States (September 2025 to August 2026), about 1 in 91 of all searches for the word. About is a preposition meaning “In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of; around”.
How many letters and syllables are in about?
| Letters | 5: A-B-O-U-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 2,512 times per million words; the 45th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | 8; the most searched, abiut, about 140 Bing searches a month (all of them) |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How do you spell about?
About is spelled A-B-O-U-T. 8 wrong spellings are searched or written often enough to measure; together they are about 1 in 39 of the searches for about in either form.
Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026). Wrong spellings are taken from Wiktionary entries tagged "misspelling" and its obsolete or nonstandard forms, Wikipedia's Lists of common misspellings and the codespell dictionary, then measured. The proofreader's marks show the change that corrects each one.
How common is about?
About appears 2,512 times per million words in written English, the 45th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce about?
- US /əˈbaʊ̯t/
- /əˈbɐʊ̯t/
- /əˈbʌʊ̯t/
About has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Back_ache-about.wav, En-us-about_(improved).ogg, En-ca-about-real.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with about?
10 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as about from its last stressed vowel (/aʊt/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of about
- aboot
- abowt
- a.
- ab.
- abt.
- abouts present, singular, he/she/it
- abouting participle, present
- abouted participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does about mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
preposition
- 1
In a circle around; all round; on every side of; on the outside of; around.
The snake was coiled about his ankle.
- 2
Over or upon different parts of; through or over in various directions; here and there in; to and fro in; throughout.
Rubbish was strewn about the place.
- 3
See about to.
- 4
obsoleteOn the point or verge of.
- 5
Concerning; with regard to; on account of; on the subject of.
He talked a lot about his childhood.
- 6
Concerned or occupied with; engaged in; intent on.
just going about their business
- 7
Within or in the immediate neighborhood of; in contiguity or proximity to; near, as to place.
I can’t find my reading glasses, but they must be somewhere about the house.
- 8
On one’s person; nearby the person.
I had no weapon about me but a stick.
adverb
- 1
On all sides, or in every or any direction from a point; around.
I looked about at the scenery that surrounded me.
- 2
Here and there; around; in one place and another; up and down.
Bits of old machinery were lying about.
- 3
From one place or position to another in succession; indicating repeated movement or activity.
walking about; rushing about; jumping about; thrashing about
- 4
Indicating unproductive or unstructured activity.
messing about; fooling about; loafing about
- 5
Nearly; approximately; with close correspondence in quality, manner, degree, quantity, or time; almost.
It’s about as cold as it was last winter.
- 6
Near; in the vicinity.
- 7
To a reversed order, direction, or condition; half round; in (or to, or from) the opposite direction.
to face about; to turn oneself about
- 8
To the opposite tack: see go about.
We went about and headed offshore.
adjective
- 1
Moving around or in motion; astir.
out and about; up and about
- 2
In existence; being in evidence; apparent.
This idea has been about for a while but has only recently become fashionable.
- 3
Near; in the vicinity or neighbourhood.
I had my keys just a minute ago, so they must be about somewhere.
verb
- 1
To change the course of (a ship) to the other tack; to bring (a ship) about.
- 2
To about-face (turn 180 degrees, like a soldier).
For quotations using this term, see Citations:about.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate about?
Wiktionary records 6 abbreviations of about: a., aO, ab, ab., abt, abt..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
About in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | autour de , au-dessus de, par-dessus , sur le point , de, sur |
| German | um... (herum) , über , bereit zu , von , etwa, ungefähr |
| Portuguese | ao redor de, nas redondezas de , por , prestes a , sobre, acerca de |
| Spanish | alrededor de, por , encima de , a punto de , sobre, acerca de |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.