above

/əˈbʌv/

//əˈbʌv// prep

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

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

The verdict

“above” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #629 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#629
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said of clothing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

above vs ave
60% similar
above vs ABV
0% similar
above vs aloe
60% similar

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

Key facts for above
PropertyValue
Headwordabove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/əˈbʌv/
Letters5
Frequency rank#629
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “above” 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). above 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 above is 5 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbʌv/. Corpus data places it at rank #629 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for above, with forms such as "abbove", "aboev", and "abovve". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "ave", "ABV", "aloe", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *-anē Proto-Germanic *uba… The correct English form is above, spelled A-B-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said of clothing.
  2. 2
    In or to a higher place; higher than; on or over the upper surface.
  3. 3
    Farther north than.
  4. 4
    Rising; appearing out of reach height-wise.
  5. 5
    Higher than; superior to in any respect; surpassing; higher in measure, degree, volume, or pitch, etc. than; out of reach; not exposed to; not likely to be affected by; incapable of negative actions or thoughts.
  6. 6
    Higher in rank, status, or position.
  7. 7
    In addition to; besides.
  8. 8
    Surpassing in number or quantity; more than.
  9. 9
    In preference to.
  10. 10
    Too proud to stoop to; averse to; disinclined towards;
  11. 11
    Beyond; on the other side.
  12. 12
    Upstage of.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *-anē Proto-Germanic *ubanē Proto-West Germanic *obanā Proto-West Germanic *biobanā Old English bufan Old English abūfan Middle English aboven English above From Middle English above, aboven, abuven, from Old English ābufan, onbufan, from on (“on”) + bufan (“over”), (akin to Icelandic ofan (“from above”), Middle Dutch bōven, Old Frisian bova, Middle High German bobene) from bī (“by”) + ufan (“over”); also cognate with Danish oven, Dutch boven, German oben, Swedish ovan, Old Saxon oƀan, Old High German obana. The preposition, the adjective, and the noun derive from the adverb.

This word in other languages

encima(Español)sur(Français)über(Deutsch)acima(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbove,aboev,abovve,abvoe,aobve,baove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of above - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abbove1aboev2abovve1abvoe2aobve2baove2
Edit distance from "above"

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 "above"?
"above" is spelled A-B-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbʌv/.
What does "above" mean?
As a preposition, "above" means: Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said of clothing.
What words are commonly confused with "above"?
"above" is commonly confused with "ave", "ABV", "aloe". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "above"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "above" is /əˈbʌv/. 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 "above"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ud-s-? Proto-Indo-European *h₂u-s-? Proto-Germanic *uz- Proto-West Germanic *uʀ- Old English ar- Old English ā- Proto-West Germanic *bi- Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Germanic *ub Proto-Germanic *-anē Proto-Ger... 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 “above”

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

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