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PlainSpell

as

/æz/adverb, conjunction, preposition, noun

as is spelled A-S: 2 letters and one syllable. It appears 5,888 times per million words in written English, the 19th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “as vs ass” about 40 times a month (Google, United States). As an adverb, as means “To such an extent or degree; to the same extent or degree” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in as?

Letters2: A-S
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing5,888 times per million words; the 19th most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search
Pairs people search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).

How common is as?

As appears 5,888 times per million words in written English, the 19th most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce as?

  • /əz/
  • /æz/
  • [æz]

As a noun (“A libra, a Roman pound”): /ˈæs/.

As an adverb (“Used to intensify an adjective; very much; extremely”): /ˈæz/.

As has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-as.wav, En-us-as.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Words people confuse with as

Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).

as vs ass40 G
a's vs as0 B

Also written: a's.

Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).

Forms of as

  • ases plural
  • asses plural

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does as mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

adverb

  1. 1

    To such an extent or degree; to the same extent or degree.

    She regards her kids as (being) holy as saints.

  2. 2

    Considered to be, in relation to something else; in the relation (specified).

  3. 3

    datedFor example; for instance. (Compare such as.)

  4. 4

    AustraliaslangUsed to intensify an adjective; very much; extremely.

    sweet as

conjunction

  1. 1

    In the (same) way or manner that; to the (same) degree that.

    Do as I say!

  2. 2

    Used after so or as to introduce a comparison.

    She's twice as strong as I was two years ago.

  3. 3

    Used to introduce a result: with the result that it is; as to.

  4. 4

    Expressing concession: though.

    (As) much as I respect your viewpoint, I can’t agree.

  5. 5

    At the same instant or moment that: when.

    As I came in, she fled.

  6. 6

    At the same time that, during the same time when: while.

    He sleeps as the rain falls.

  7. 7

    Varying through time in the same proportion that.

    As my fear grew, so did my legs become heavy.

  8. 8

    Being that, considering that, because, since.

    As it’s too late, I quit.

preposition

  1. 1

    Introducing a basis of comparison, with an object in the objective case.

    You are not as tall as my sister.

  2. 2

    In the role of.

    What is your opinion as a parent?

  3. 3

    In the form of.

    I bought you a new toy as a special treat.

noun

  1. 1

    A libra, a Roman pound.

  2. 2

    Any of several coins of Rome, coined in bronze or later copper; or the equivalent value.

  3. 3

    rareAlternative form of a's.

noun

as AS
  1. 1

    UKInitialism of Advanced Supplementary.

  2. 2

    UKInitialism of Advanced Subsidiary.

    AS-level

  3. 3

    Initialism of aortic stenosis.

  4. 4

    Initialism of Asperger's syndrome.

  5. 5

    Initialism of ankylosing spondylitis.

  6. 6

    Initialism of autonomous system.

  7. 7

    USInitialism of auxiliary submarine: a naval tender, a submarine tender that tends to submarines.

  8. 8

    Initialism of application server.

phrase

as AS
  1. 1

    Initialism of alayhi as-salaam.

noun

as As
  1. 1

    plural of A (a form of A)

    She went from getting Cs and Ds to earning straight As.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

As in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
Frenchaussi (to such an extent or degree), que (Introducing a basis of comparison), en tant que (In the role of), as (Roman coin)
Germanso ... wie (to such an extent or degree), als (In the role of), As (Roman coin)
Portuguesetão, tanto (to such an extent or degree), quanto (Introducing a basis of comparison), como, enquanto (In the role of), asse (Roman coin)
Spanishtan/cuan (...como), por muy (…que) (to such an extent or degree), como, cual (Introducing a basis of comparison), as (Roman coin)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does as come from?

From Middle English as, als(a), alswa, from Old English eallswā (“just so; as”), thus representing a reduced form of also. Compare German Low German a(l)s, German als, Dutch als.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after as