ambush

Name: ambush, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈæm.bʊʃ/

//ˈæm.bʊʃ// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“ambush” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,852 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,852
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ambush vs Amish

50% similar

ambush vs amuse

67% similar

ambush vs ambushed

75% similar

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

Key facts for ambush
Property	Value
Headword	ambush
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈæm.bʊʃ/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#13,852
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	4
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ambush” 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). ambush lands here:

#13,852

#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 ambush is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæm.bʊʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,852 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for ambush, with forms such as "abmush", "ambbush", and "ambsuh". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "Amish", "amuse", "ambushed", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, he… The correct English form is ambush, spelled A-M-B-U-S-H.

Definition

1
The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.
2
An attack launched from a concealed position.
3
The concealed position or state from which a surprise attack is launched.
4
The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; those who lie in wait.

Etymology

From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz (“bush, heavy stick”). Compare ambuscade. The change to am- from earlier forms in en- is unexplained. More at bush.

This word in other languages

emboscada(Español)embuscade(Français)Hinterhalt(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abmush,ambbush,ambsuh,ambuhs,ambushh,ambussh,ammbush,amubsh,mabush

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ambush - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "ambush"

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 "ambush"?

"ambush" is spelled A-M-B-U-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæm.bʊʃ/.

What does "ambush" mean?

As a noun, "ambush" means: The act of concealing oneself and lying in wait to attack or kill by surprise.

What words are commonly confused with "ambush"?

"ambush" is commonly confused with "Amish", "amuse", "ambushed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "ambush"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ambush" is /ˈæm.bʊʃ/. 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 "ambush"?

From Middle English enbuschen, from Old French enbuscier, anbuchier (verb) (whence Middle French embusche (noun)), from Old French en- + Vulgar Latin boscus (“wood”) (whence also bouquet), from Frankish *busk (“bush”), from Proto-Germanic *buskaz ... 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 “ambush”

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

The one correct English spelling is A-M-B-U-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈæm.bʊʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Don't mix it up with “Amish” - see the side-by-side comparison. ambush vs Amish
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.