absent

/ˈæb.sn̩t/

//ˈæb.sn̩t// adj

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

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

The verdict

“absent” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,307 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#7,307
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

absent vs agent
67% similar
absent vs asset
67% similar
absent vs arent
67% similar

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

Key facts for absent
PropertyValue
Headwordabsent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈæb.sn̩t/
Letters6
Frequency rank#7,307
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “absent” 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). absent 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 absent is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæb.sn̩t/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,307 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 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 absent, with forms such as "abbsent", "abesnt", and "absennt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "agent", "asset", "arent", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”). The correct English form is absent, spelled A-B-S-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.
  2. 2
    Not existing.
  3. 3
    Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied.

Etymology

From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”).

This word in other languages

ausente(Español)absent(Français)abwesend(Deutsch)ausente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbsent,abesnt,absennt,absentt,absetn,absnet,abssent,asbent,basent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of absent - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

abbsent1abesnt2absennt1absentt1absetn2absnet2abssent1asbent2
Edit distance from "absent"

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 "absent"?
"absent" is spelled A-B-S-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæb.sn̩t/.
What does "absent" mean?
As an adjective, "absent" means: Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; existing but not present; (sometimes) missing.
What words are commonly confused with "absent"?
"absent" is commonly confused with "agent", "asset", "arent". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "absent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "absent" is /ˈæb.sn̩t/. 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 "absent"?
From Middle English absent, from Middle French absent, from Old French ausent, and their source, Latin absens, present participle of absum (“to be away from”), from ab (“away”) + sum (“to be”). 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 “absent”

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

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