arbitrage

/ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ/

//ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ// noun

"arbitrage" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“arbitrage” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,432 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,432
frequency rank, English
9
letters
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A market activity in which a security, commodity, currency or other tradable item is bought in one market and sold simultaneously in another, in order to profit from price differences between the m...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

arbitrage vs Armitage
67% similar
arbitrage vs arbitrary
78% similar

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

Key facts for arbitrage
PropertyValue
Headwordarbitrage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#36,432
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “arbitrage” 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). arbitrage 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 arbitrage is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,432 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for arbitrage, with forms such as "abritrage", "arbbitrage", and "arbirtage". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Armitage", "arbitrary", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: An unadapted borrowing from French arbitrage, from arbitrer (“to arbitrate”); see arbitrate. The correct English form is arbitrage, spelled A-R-B-I-T-R-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A market activity in which a security, commodity, currency or other tradable item is bought in one market and sold simultaneously in another, in order to profit from price differences between the markets.
  2. 2
    Arbitration.

Etymology

An unadapted borrowing from French arbitrage, from arbitrer (“to arbitrate”); see arbitrate.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: abritrage,arbbitrage,arbirtage,arbitarge,arbitraeg,arbitragge,arbitrgae,arbitrrage,arbittrage,arbtirage,aribtrage,arrbitrage,rabitrage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

abritrage2arbbitrage1arbirtage2arbitarge2arbitraeg2arbitragge1arbitrgae2arbitrrage1
Edit distance from "arbitrage"

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 "arbitrage"?
"arbitrage" is spelled A-R-B-I-T-R-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ/.
What does "arbitrage" mean?
As a noun, "arbitrage" means: A market activity in which a security, commodity, currency or other tradable item is bought in one market and sold simultaneously in another, in order to profit from price differences between the m...
What words are commonly confused with "arbitrage"?
"arbitrage" is commonly confused with "Armitage", "arbitrary". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "arbitrage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "arbitrage" is /ˈɑɹbɪˌtɹɑʒ/. 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 "arbitrage"?
An unadapted borrowing from French arbitrage, from arbitrer (“to arbitrate”); see arbitrate. 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 “arbitrage”

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

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