array

/əˈɹeɪ/

//əˈɹeɪ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“array” has 5 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,023. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,023
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Clothing and ornamentation; raiment.

Corpus desk

Index EN-array · array · English

array · rank #6,023 · 5 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,023
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 5 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH archives

Nearest frequency peer: archives (-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 “array”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “array” 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).

array vs away
60% similar
array vs aura
60% similar
array vs Arya
40% similar

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

Key facts for array
PropertyValue
Headwordarray
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əˈɹeɪ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#6,023
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “array”

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).arraylands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “archives” (#6,022), “assisted” (#6,024), “ally” (#6,021). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “array” is #6,023. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 5 spelling variants around array (IPA /əˈɹeɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #6,023 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for array, with forms such as "arary", "aray", and "arrayy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "away", "aura", "Arya", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-Norman arraier (compare Old French arraier, areer (“to put in order”)), from Vulgar Latin *arrēdō (“to put in order, arrange, array”), from *rēdum (“preparation, order”), from Frankish *raid or *raidā (“preparation, o… The correct English form is array, spelled A-R-R-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Clothing and ornamentation; raiment.
  2. 2
    A collection laid out to be viewed in full.
  3. 3
    An orderly series, arrangement or sequence.
  4. 4
    Order; a regular and imposing arrangement; disposition in regular lines; hence, order of battle.
  5. 5
    A large collection.
  6. 6
    A matrix.
  7. 7
    Any of various data structures designed to hold multiple elements of the same type; especially, a data structure that holds these elements in adjacent memory locations so that they may be retrieved using numeric indices.
  8. 8
    A ranking or setting forth in order, by the proper officer, of a jury as impanelled in a cause; the panel itself; or the whole body of jurors summoned to attend the court.
  9. 9
    A militia.
  10. 10
    A group of hedgehogs.
  11. 11
    A microarray.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Sovay, Sovay all on a day, She dressed herself in man's array, With a sword and a pistol all by her side, To meet her true love to meet her true love away did ride.
  2. In this Remembrance Emily e’re day / Aroſe, and dreſs’d her ſelf in rich Array […]

Etymology

From Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-Norman arraier (compare Old French arraier, areer (“to put in order”)), from Vulgar Latin *arrēdō (“to put in order, arrange, array”), from *rēdum (“preparation, order”), from Frankish *raid or *raidā (“preparation, order”) or Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 (garaiþs, “ready, prepared”), from Proto-Germanic *raidaz, *raidiz (“ready”). Compare Old English rād (“condition, stipulation”), Old High German antreitī (“order, rank”). Doublet of ready.

Antonyms

disarray

This word in other languages

atavío(Español)éventail(Français)Bekleidung(Deutsch)conjunto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • arary
  • aray
  • arrayy
  • arrya
  • raray

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

arary2aray1arrayy1arrya2raray2
Edit distance from "array"

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 "array"?
"array" is spelled A-R-R-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈɹeɪ/.
What does "array" mean?
As a noun, "array" means: Clothing and ornamentation; raiment.
What words are commonly confused with "array"?
"array" is commonly confused with "away", "aura", "Arya". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "array"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "array" is /əˈɹeɪ/. 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 "array"?
From Middle English arrayen, from Anglo-Norman arraier (compare Old French arraier, areer (“to put in order”)), from Vulgar Latin *arrēdō (“to put in order, arrange, array”), from *rēdum (“preparation, order”), from Frankish *raid or *raidā (“prep... 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 "array", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

backs#6,025belly#6,026booth#6,027witch#6,019

Similar misspelling depth

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

urge5 variantsrage5 variantspine5 variantspour5 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list