angstrom

/ˈæŋstɹəm/

//ˈæŋstɹəm// noun

"angstrom" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“angstrom” is an uncommon English word, ranked #97,787 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#97,787
frequency rank, English
8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A unit of length equal to 10⁻¹⁰ meters (that is, one ten-billionth of a meter), approximately the size of an atom, and denoted by the symbol Å, used especially to measure the wavelength of electrom...

Key facts for angstrom
PropertyValue
Headwordangstrom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæŋstɹəm/
Letters8
Frequency rank#97,787
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “angstrom” 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). angstrom 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 angstrom is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈæŋstɹəm/. Corpus data places it at rank #97,787 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A unit of length equal to 10⁻¹⁰ meters (that is, one ten-billionth of a meter), approximately the size of an atom, and denoted by the symbol Å, used especially to measure the wavelength of electrom...".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for angstrom, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Swedish ångström, named after Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström. The correct English form is angstrom, spelled A-N-G-S-T-R-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A unit of length equal to 10⁻¹⁰ meters (that is, one ten-billionth of a meter), approximately the size of an atom, and denoted by the symbol Å, used especially to measure the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation or distances between atoms.

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish ångström, named after Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström.

Synonyms

Åangstrom unitAU

This word in other languages

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 "angstrom"?
"angstrom" is spelled A-N-G-S-T-R-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæŋstɹəm/.
What does "angstrom" mean?
As a noun, "angstrom" means: A unit of length equal to 10⁻¹⁰ meters (that is, one ten-billionth of a meter), approximately the size of an atom, and denoted by the symbol Å, used especially to measure the wavelength of electrom...
How do you pronounce "angstrom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "angstrom" is /ˈæŋstɹəm/. 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 "angstrom"?
Borrowed from Swedish ångström, named after Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström. 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 “angstrom”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-N-G-S-T-R-O-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæŋstɹəm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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