apron

/ˈeɪ.pɹən/

//ˈeɪ.pɹən// noun

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

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

The verdict

“apron” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #18,015. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#18,015
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An article of clothing worn over the front of the torso and/or legs for protection from spills; also historically worn by Freemasons and as part of women's fashion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-apron · apron · English

apron · rank #18,015 · 7 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #18,015
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH appropriations

Nearest frequency peer: appropriations (-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 “apron”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “apron” 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).

apron vs aro
60% similar
apron vs ARN
0% similar
apron vs Avon
40% similar

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

Key facts for apron
PropertyValue
Headwordapron
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈeɪ.pɹən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,015
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “apron”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).apronlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “appropriations” (#18,014), “archaic” (#18,016), “Ankara” (#18,013). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “apron” is #18,015. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around apron (IPA /ˈeɪ.pɹən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #18,015 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for apron, with forms such as "aporn", "appron", and "aprno". 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, "aro", "ARN", "Avon", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Rebracketing of napron (a napron → an apron), from Middle English naperoun, napron, apron, from Old French napperon, diminutive of nappe (“tablecloth”), from Latin mappa (“napkin”). For other similar cases of rebracketing, see adder, daffodil, newt, nicknam… The correct English form is apron, spelled A-P-R-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An article of clothing worn over the front of the torso and/or legs for protection from spills; also historically worn by Freemasons and as part of women's fashion.
  2. 2
    The short cassock ordinarily worn by English bishops.
  3. 3
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  4. 4
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  5. 5
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  6. 6
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  7. 7
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  8. 8
    A hard surface bordering a structure or area.
  9. 9
    A raised panel below a window or wall monument or tablet.
  10. 10
    The sides of a tree's canopy.
  11. 11
    The cap of a cannon; a piece of lead laid over the vent to keep the priming dry.
  12. 12
    A removable cover for the passengers' feet and legs in an open horse carriage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. She tied an apron around her waist before cooking dinner.
  2. The carpenter wore a leather apron full of tools.

Etymology

Rebracketing of napron (a napron → an apron), from Middle English naperoun, napron, apron, from Old French napperon, diminutive of nappe (“tablecloth”), from Latin mappa (“napkin”). For other similar cases of rebracketing, see adder, daffodil, newt, nickname, orange, trickle, umpire.

This word in other languages

delantal(Español)tablier(Français)Schürze(Deutsch)avental(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aporn
  • appron
  • aprno
  • apronn
  • aprron
  • arpon
  • paron

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of apron - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

aporn2appron1aprno2apronn1aprron1arpon2paron2
Edit distance from "apron"

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 "apron"?
"apron" is spelled A-P-R-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈeɪ.pɹən/.
What does "apron" mean?
As a noun, "apron" means: An article of clothing worn over the front of the torso and/or legs for protection from spills; also historically worn by Freemasons and as part of women's fashion.
What words are commonly confused with "apron"?
"apron" is commonly confused with "aro", "ARN", "Avon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "apron"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "apron" is /ˈeɪ.pɹən/. 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 "apron"?
Rebracketing of napron (a napron → an apron), from Middle English naperoun, napron, apron, from Old French napperon, diminutive of nappe (“tablecloth”), from Latin mappa (“napkin”). For other similar cases of rebracketing, see adder, daffodil, new... 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 "apron", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

avant#18,020Baird#18,022Boise#18,027Adler#18,002

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

ammonia7 variantscarbs7 variantswoken7 variantsvicar7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list