ark

/ɑːk/

//ɑːk// noun

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

"ark" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ark” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #10,324) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#10,324
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A large box with a flat lid.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ark · ark · English

ark · rank #10,324 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #10,324
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH accomplishmen…

Nearest frequency peer: accomplishments (-3 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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “ark”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “ark” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

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).

ark vs as
33% similar
ark vs at
33% similar
ark vs aw
33% similar

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

Key facts for ark
PropertyValue
Headwordark
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɑːk/
Letters3
Frequency rank#10,324
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “ark”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).arklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “accomplishments” (#10,321), “atoms” (#10,327), “accelerated” (#10,320). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “ark” is #10,324. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for ark is neighbouring look-alikes ("as", "at", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ɑːk/. Frequency #10,324 among 3,931 “A” headwords. 7 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for ark, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "as", "at", "aw", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English arke, from Old English earc, ærc, from Latin arca (“chest, box, coffer”), from arceō (“I enclose”). The correct English form is ark, spelled A-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A large box with a flat lid.
  2. 2
    The ship built by Noah to save his family and a collection of animals from the deluge; Noah's ark.
  3. 3
    Something affording protection; safety, shelter, refuge.
  4. 4
    The body as a vessel.
  5. 5
    A spacious type of boat with a flat bottom.
  6. 6
    The Ark of the Covenant.
  7. 7
    A decorated cabinet at the front of a synagogue, in which Torah scrolls are kept.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In the midrash about Noah it says that Noah had a stone which, when held up in the darkness of the ark, would change color when the sun was shining outside.
  2. the Ark of Bukhara

Etymology

From Middle English arke, from Old English earc, ærc, from Latin arca (“chest, box, coffer”), from arceō (“I enclose”).

Synonyms

bargebasketchestcofferhutchrefugeretreatsheltershipvessel

This word in other languages

arca(Español)arche(Français)Arche(Deutsch)arca(Português)

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 "ark"?
"ark" is spelled A-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ɑːk/.
What does "ark" mean?
As a noun, "ark" means: A large box with a flat lid.
What words are commonly confused with "ark"?
"ark" is commonly confused with "as", "at", "aw". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ark"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ark" is /ɑːk/. 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 "ark"?
From Middle English arke, from Old English earc, ærc, from Latin arca (“chest, box, coffer”), from arceō (“I enclose”). 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 "ark", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

VIP#10,311bum#10,339cue#10,351FCC#10,364

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list