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” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #629. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#629
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - Physically over; on top of; worn on top of, said of clothing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-above · above · English

above · rank #629 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #629
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH w

Nearest frequency peer: w (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “above”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “above” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

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.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around above (IPA /əˈbʌv/), apreposition. Corpus frequency is #629 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He always put his coat on above his sweater.
  2. And God said, Let the waters bring foorth aboundantly the mouing creature that hath life, and foule that may flie aboue the earth in the open firmament of heauen.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "above", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

total#627share#642April#648space#598

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

club6 variantsfilm6 variantsknew6 variantsyou'll6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "above". Here's where to go from here.

  • "above" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "ave". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #629 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "A" letter cohort. A–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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