abra

/ˈæbɹə/

//ˈæbɹə// noun

"abra" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abra” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #42,507 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#42,507
frequency rank, English
4
letters
2
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - a narrow mountain or mesa pass

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abra vs AR
0% similar
abra vs are
50% similar
abra vs air
50% similar

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

Key facts for abra
PropertyValue
Headwordabra
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæbɹə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#42,507
Misspellings tracked2
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abra” 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). abra 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 abra is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæbɹə/. Corpus data places it at rank #42,507 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "a narrow mountain or mesa pass".

Our generated misspelling index lists 2 likely wrong-spelling variants for abra, including "abar" and "abbra". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "AR", "are", "air", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Spanish abra. Doublet of haven. The correct English form is abra, spelled A-B-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    a narrow mountain or mesa pass

Etymology

From Spanish abra. Doublet of haven.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abar,abbra

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abar2abbra1
Edit distance from "abra"

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 "abra"?
"abra" is spelled A-B-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæbɹə/.
What does "abra" mean?
As a noun, "abra" means: a narrow mountain or mesa pass
What words are commonly confused with "abra"?
"abra" is commonly confused with "AR", "are", "air". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abra" is /ˈæbɹə/. 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 "abra"?
From Spanish abra. Doublet of haven. 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 “abra”

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

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