again
/əˈɡɛn/
"again" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“again” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #189 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.
- #189
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 6
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | again |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /əˈɡɛn/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #189 |
| Misspellings tracked | 6 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “again” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for again is 5 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈɡɛn/. Corpus data places it at rank #189 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 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 again, with forms such as "aagin", "againn", and "agani". 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, "ain", "AGI", "Alan", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Ol… The correct English form is again, spelled A-G-A-I-N.
Definition
- 1Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.
- 2Back (to a former place or state).
- 3Over and above a factor of one.
- 4Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion.
- 5Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion.
- 6Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion.
- 7Used metalinguistically, with the repetition being in the discussion, or in the linguistic or pragmatic context of the discussion, rather than in the subject of discussion.
- 8Back in the reverse direction, or to an original starting point.
- 9In return, as a reciprocal action; back.
- 10In any other place.
- 11On the other hand.
- 12Moreover; besides; further.
Etymology
Etymology tree ▲ Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁en- Proto-Indo-European *h₁én Proto-Germanic *in Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰengʰ-der. Proto-Germanic *ganganąder.? Proto-Germanic *gagin Proto-Germanic *in gagin Proto-West Germanic *in gagin Old English onġēan Middle English agayn English again From Middle English agayn, from Old English onġēan (“against, again”), from Proto-West Germanic *in gagin, from Proto-Germanic *in gagin. Cognate with German entgegen (“contrary to”), North Frisian ijen (“against”), Danish igen (“again”), Swedish igen (“again”), and Norwegian Bokmål igjen (“again”), and Icelandic í gegnum (“through”). By surface analysis, on- + gain (“against”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: aagin,againn,agani,aggain,agian,gaain
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of again - 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.
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
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Using “again”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is A-G-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /əˈɡɛn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “ain” - see the side-by-side comparison. again vs ain
- 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.