abrupt

/əˈbɹʌpt/

//əˈbɹʌpt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“abrupt” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,529 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#17,529
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Broken away (from restraint).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abrupt vs abruptly
75% similar
abrupt vs about
67% similar
abrupt vs abduct
67% similar

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

Key facts for abrupt
PropertyValue
Headwordabrupt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈbɹʌpt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,529
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abrupt” 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). abrupt 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 abrupt is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbɹʌpt/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,529 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for abrupt, with forms such as "abbrupt", "abrput", and "abrrupt". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "abruptly", "about", "abduct", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”). The correct English form is abrupt, spelled A-B-R-U-P-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Broken away (from restraint).
  2. 2
    Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious.
  3. 3
    Curt in manner.
  4. 4
    Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed.
  5. 5
    Broken off.
  6. 6
    Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous.
  7. 7
    Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate.

Etymology

First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”).

Synonyms

brokenroughruggedsuddensuddenbluntbrusquedisconnectedunexpected

This word in other languages

abrupto(Español)abrupt(Français)abrupt(Deutsch)brusco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbrupt,abrput,abrrupt,abruppt,abruptt,abrutp,aburpt,arbupt,barupt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abbrupt1abrput2abrrupt1abruppt1abruptt1abrutp2aburpt2arbupt2
Edit distance from "abrupt"

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 "abrupt"?
"abrupt" is spelled A-B-R-U-P-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbɹʌpt/.
What does "abrupt" mean?
As an adjective, "abrupt" means: Broken away (from restraint).
What words are commonly confused with "abrupt"?
"abrupt" is commonly confused with "abruptly", "about", "abduct". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abrupt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abrupt" is /əˈbɹʌpt/. 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 "abrupt"?
First attested in 1583. Borrowed from Latin abruptus (“broken off”), perfect passive participle of abrumpō (“break off”), formed from ab (“from, away from”) + rumpō (“to break”). 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 “abrupt”

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

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