abstain

/əbˈsteɪn/

//əbˈsteɪn// verb

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

"abstain" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abstain” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #26,318 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#26,318
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Keep or withhold oneself.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abstain vs Austin
57% similar
abstain vs attain
71% similar

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

Key facts for abstain
PropertyValue
Headwordabstain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əbˈsteɪn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,318
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abstain” 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). abstain 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 abstain is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əbˈsteɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #26,318 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for abstain, with forms such as "abbstain", "absatin", and "absstain". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Austin", "attain", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”). See also tenable. The correct English form is abstain, spelled A-B-S-T-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Keep or withhold oneself.
  2. 2
    Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.
  3. 3
    Refrain from (something or doing something); keep from doing, especially an indulgence.
  4. 4
    Fast (not eat for a period).
  5. 5
    Deliberately refrain from casting one's vote at a meeting where one is present.
  6. 6
    Hinder; keep back; withhold.

Etymology

First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”). See also tenable.

Synonyms

abjuredeny oneselfforbearforgogive uprefrainrelinquishwithhold

This word in other languages

abstenerse(Español)s'abstenir(Français)verzichten(Deutsch)impedir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbstain,absatin,absstain,abstainn,abstani,abstian,absttain,abtsain,asbtain,bastain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abbstain1absatin2absstain1abstainn1abstani2abstian2absttain1abtsain2
Edit distance from "abstain"

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 "abstain"?
"abstain" is spelled A-B-S-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈsteɪn/.
What does "abstain" mean?
As a verb, "abstain" means: Keep or withhold oneself.
What words are commonly confused with "abstain"?
"abstain" is commonly confused with "Austin", "attain". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abstain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abstain" is /əbˈsteɪn/. 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 "abstain"?
First attested around 1380. From Middle English absteynen, absteinen, abstenen, from Old French astenir, abstenir, from Latin abstineō (“to hold oneself back”) from abs- (“from”) + teneō (“I hold”). See also tenable. 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 “abstain”

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

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