aft
/æft/adverb, adjective, noun
aft is spelled A-F-T: 3 letters and one syllable. It appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adverb, aft means “At, near, or towards the stern of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in aft?
| Letters | 3: A-F-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 2.5 times per million words; the 17,342nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is aft?
Aft appears 2.5 times per million words in written English, the 17,342nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce aft?
- UK /ɑːft/
- US /æft/
- Australia /ɐːft/
Aft has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-aft.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-aft.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with aft
Also written: afternoon.
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
What rhymes with aft?
7 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as aft from its last stressed vowel (/æft/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: fat.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of aft
- further aft comparative
- farther aft comparative
- more aft comparative
- furthest aft superlative
- farthest aft superlative
- most aft superlative
- afts plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does aft mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adverb
- 1
At, near, or towards the stern of a vessel (with the frame of reference within the vessel).
adjective
- 1
located at the back of a boat, ship, or airplane
noun
- 1
datedslangAlternative form of afternoon: the time of day from noon until early evening.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Aft in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does aft come from?
From Old English æftan (“behind”); possibly originally superlative of of (“off”). See after.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).