# Alcatraz

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ˈælkətɹæz/ · frequency rank #37,312

## Definitions
1. An island in San Francisco Bay California, United States, formerly the site of a famous prison; in full, Alcatraz Island.
2. Ellipsis of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, a famous former U.S. federal prison, on the island.
3. Ellipsis of Fort Alcatraz, a U.S. coastal defense fort, predecessor of the prison.

## Etymology
From Spanish Isla de los Alcatraces (“island of gannets”), named by Juan Manuel de Ayala, an explorer of San Francisco Bay.

## Common misspellings (12)
`aclatraz`, `alactraz`, `alcartaz`, `alcatarz`, `alcatrazz`, `alcatrraz`, `alcatrza`, `alcattraz`, `alccatraz`, `alctaraz`, `allcatraz`, `lacatraz`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/alcatraz