# around

> English word · Preposition · IPA /əˈɹaʊnd/ · frequency rank #165

## Definitions
1. Forming a circle or closed curve containing (something).
2. Centred upon; surrounding; regarding.
3. Following the perimeter of a specified area and returning to the starting point.
4. Following a path which curves near an object, with the object on the inside of the curve.
5. Near; in the vicinity of.
6. At or to various places within or throughout.

## Etymology
From Middle English around, arounde, from a- (from Old English a- (“on, at”)) + Middle English round (“circle, round”) borrowed from French, equivalent to a- + round. Cognate with Scots aroond, aroon (“around”). Displaced earlier Middle English umbe, embe (“around”) (from Old English ymbe (“around”)).

## Easily confused with
- **Arun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/around-vs-arun)
- **arouse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/around-vs-arouse)
- **Arvind** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/around-vs-arvind)
- **aroused** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/around-vs-aroused)
- **Aron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aron-vs-around)
- **aloud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aloud-vs-around)
- **Arjun** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arjun-vs-around)
- **amount** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/amount-vs-around)
- **argued** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/argued-vs-around)
- **abound** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/abound-vs-around)
- **Arjuna** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/arjuna-vs-around)
- **aground** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/aground-vs-around)

## Common misspellings (8)
`aorund`, `aronud`, `aroudn`, `aroundd`, `arounnd`, `arround`, `aruond`, `raound`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/around