against

/əˈɡɛnst/

//əˈɡɛnst// prep

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

"against" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“against” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #194 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#194
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In a contrary direction to.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

against vs again
71% similar

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

Key facts for against
PropertyValue
Headwordagainst
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/əˈɡɛnst/
Letters7
Frequency rank#194
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “against” 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). against 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 against is 7 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əˈɡɛnst/. Corpus data places it at rank #194 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 17 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for against, with forms such as "aaginst", "againnst", and "againsst". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "again", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

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 against, spelled A-G-A-I-N-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    In a contrary direction to.
  2. 2
    In physical opposition to; in collision with.
  3. 3
    In physical contact with, so as to abut or be supported by.
  4. 4
    Close to, alongside.
  5. 5
    In front of; before (a background).
  6. 6
    In contrast or comparison with.
  7. 7
    In competition with, versus.
  8. 8
    Contrary to; in conflict with.
  9. 9
    In opposition to.
  10. 10
    Of betting odds, denoting a worse-than-even chance.
  11. 11
    In exchange for.
  12. 12
    As counterbalance to.
  13. 13
    As a charge on.
  14. 14
    As protection from.
  15. 15
    In anticipation of; in preparation for (a particular time, event etc.).
  16. 16
    To be paid now in contrast to the following amount to be paid later under specified circumstances, usually that a movie is made or has started filming.
  17. 17
    Exposed to.

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 onġēander. Middle English ayenes English against Formed from Middle English ayenes, agenes, againes (“in opposition to”), a southern variant of agen, or directly from again, either way with adverbial genitive singular ending -es; the parasitic -t was added circa 1350, probably by confusion with the superlative ending -est. By surface analysis, again + -st (excrescent ending). Cognate with Saterland Frisian juun (“against”), West Frisian tsjin (“against”), Dutch tegen (“against”), German Low German gegen (“against”), German gegen (“against”), Icelandic gegn (“against”).

Synonyms

versus

Antonyms

with

This word in other languages

contra(Español)contre(Français)gegen(Deutsch)contra(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aaginst,againnst,againsst,againstt,againts,agaisnt,aganist,aggainst,agianst,gaainst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of against - 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.

aaginst2againnst1againsst1againstt1againts2agaisnt2aganist2aggainst1
Edit distance from "against"

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 "against"?
"against" is spelled A-G-A-I-N-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈɡɛnst/.
What does "against" mean?
As a preposition, "against" means: In a contrary direction to.
What words are commonly confused with "against"?
"against" is commonly confused with "again". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "against"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "against" is /əˈɡɛnst/. 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 "against"?
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.

Using “against”

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

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