abuse

/əˈbjuːs/

//əˈbjuːs// noun

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

"abuse" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“abuse” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #2,190 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#2,190
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

abuse vs arse
60% similar
abuse vs anus
60% similar
abuse vs Aust
40% similar

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

Key facts for abuse
PropertyValue
Headwordabuse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈbjuːs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#2,190
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abuse” 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). abuse 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 abuse is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbjuːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #2,190 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for abuse, with forms such as "abbuse", "absue", and "abues". 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, "arse", "anus", "Aust", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + … The correct English form is abuse, spelled A-B-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
  2. 2
    Misuse; improper use; perversion.
  3. 3
    A delusion; an imposture; misrepresentation; deception.
  4. 4
    Coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; language that unjustly or angrily vilifies.
  5. 5
    Catachresis.
  6. 6
    Physical maltreatment; injury; cruel treatment.
  7. 7
    Violation; defilement; rape; forcing of undesired sexual activity by one person on another, often on a repeated basis.

Etymology

From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent to ab- + use.

This word in other languages

abuso(Español)abus(Français)Missbrauch(Deutsch)abuso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abbuse,absue,abues,abusse,aubse,bause

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of abuse - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

abbuse1absue2abues2abusse1aubse2bause2
Edit distance from "abuse"

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 "abuse"?
"abuse" is spelled A-B-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbjuːs/.
What does "abuse" mean?
As a noun, "abuse" means: Improper treatment or usage; application to a wrong or bad purpose; an unjust, corrupt or wrongful practice or custom.
What words are commonly confused with "abuse"?
"abuse" is commonly confused with "arse", "anus", "Aust". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "abuse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abuse" is /əˈbjuːs/. 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 "abuse"?
From Middle English abusen, then from either Old French abus (“improper use”), or from Latin abūsus (“misused, using up”), perfect active participle of abūtor (“make improper use of, consume, abuse”), from ab (“away”) + ūtor (“to use”). Equivalent... 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 “abuse”

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

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