abut

/əˈbʌt/

//əˈbʌt// verb

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

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

The verdict

“abut” is an uncommon English word, ranked #50,337 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#50,337
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To touch by means of a mutual border, edge or end; to border on; to lie adjacent (to); to be contiguous (said of an area of land)

Key facts for abut
PropertyValue
Headwordabut
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/əˈbʌt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#50,337
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “abut” 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). abut 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 abut is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈbʌt/. Corpus data places it at rank #50,337 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for abut in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English abutten, from Medieval Latin abuttare and Old French abuter, aboter, abouter (“to touch at one end, to come to an end, aim, reach”), from Old French but (“end, aim, purpose”); akin to Old Norse butr (“piece of wood”). Equivalent to a- (“… The correct English form is abut, spelled A-B-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To touch by means of a mutual border, edge or end; to border on; to lie adjacent (to); to be contiguous (said of an area of land)
  2. 2
    To border upon; be next to; abut on; be adjacent to.

Etymology

From Middle English abutten, from Medieval Latin abuttare and Old French abuter, aboter, abouter (“to touch at one end, to come to an end, aim, reach”), from Old French but (“end, aim, purpose”); akin to Old Norse butr (“piece of wood”). Equivalent to a- (“to”) + butt (“boundary mark”).

This word in other languages

lindar(Español)jouxter(Français)angrenzen(Deutsch)

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 "abut"?
"abut" is spelled A-B-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbʌt/.
What does "abut" mean?
As a verb, "abut" means: To touch by means of a mutual border, edge or end; to border on; to lie adjacent (to); to be contiguous (said of an area of land)
How do you pronounce "abut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "abut" is /əˈbʌt/. 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 "abut"?
From Middle English abutten, from Medieval Latin abuttare and Old French abuter, aboter, abouter (“to touch at one end, to come to an end, aim, reach”), from Old French but (“end, aim, purpose”); akin to Old Norse butr (“piece of wood”). Equivalen... 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 “abut”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-B-U-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əˈbʌt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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