again

/əˈɡɛn/

//əˈɡɛn// adv

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

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

The verdict

“again” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #189. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#189
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.

Corpus desk

Index EN-again · again · English

again · rank #189 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #189
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH school

Nearest frequency peer: school (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “again”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “again” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

again vs ain
60% similar
again vs AGI
0% similar
again vs Alan
40% similar

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

Key facts for again
PropertyValue
Headwordagain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/əˈɡɛn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#189
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “again”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).againlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “school” (#188), “next” (#190), “place” (#187). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “again” is #189. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around again (IPA /əˈɡɛn/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #189 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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

  1. 1
    Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.
  2. 2
    Back (to a former place or state).
  3. 3
    Over and above a factor of one.
  4. 4
    Used 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.
  5. 5
    Used 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.
  6. 6
    Used 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.
  7. 7
    Used 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.
  8. 8
    Back in the reverse direction, or to an original starting point.
  9. 9
    In return, as a reciprocal action; back.
  10. 10
    In any other place.
  11. 11
    On the other hand.
  12. 12
    Moreover; besides; further.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how again appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. I enjoyed it so much I went again the next day.
  2. He tangled in tree-tops again and again / And barely missed hitting a tri-motored plane.

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”).

Synonyms

once morere-ana-

This word in other languages

otra vez(Español)de nouveau(Français)wieder(Deutsch)de novo(Português)

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.

aagin2againn1agani2aggain1agian2gaain2
Edit distance from "again"

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 "again"?
"again" is spelled A-G-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈɡɛn/.
What does "again" mean?
As an adverb, "again" means: Another time: indicating a repeat of an action.
What words are commonly confused with "again"?
"again" is commonly confused with "ain", "AGI", "Alan". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "again"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "again" is /əˈɡɛn/. 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 "again"?
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 *i... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "again", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

place#187house#186thing#184found#197

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

next6 variantsmust6 variantsshow6 variantshigh6 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list