ashtray

/ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/

//ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ// noun

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

"ashtray" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“ashtray” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,559. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,559
frequency rank, English
35,202
“A” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ashtray vs astral
71% similar
ashtray vs astray
86% similar
ashtray vs ashram
71% similar

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

Key facts for ashtray
PropertyValue
Headwordashtray
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#40,559
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ashtray” 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). ashtray lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around ashtray (IPA /ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #40,559 among 35,202 “A” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for ashtray, with forms such as "ahstray", "ashhtray", and "ashrtay". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "astral", "astray", "ashram", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-der.? Proto-Germanic *askǭ Proto-West Germanic *askā Old English æsce Middle English asshe English ash Proto-Germanic *trawją Proto-West Germanic *trawi Old English trēġ Middle English trey English tray English asht… The correct English form is ashtray, spelled A-S-H-T-R-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-der.? Proto-Germanic *askǭ Proto-West Germanic *askā Old English æsce Middle English asshe English ash Proto-Germanic *trawją Proto-West Germanic *trawi Old English trēġ Middle English trey English tray English ashtray From ash + tray. Compare German Aschenbecher.

This word in other languages

cenicero(Español)cendrier(Français)Aschenbecher(Deutsch)cinzeiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahstray
  • ashhtray
  • ashrtay
  • ashtary
  • ashtrayy
  • ashtrray
  • ashtrya
  • ashttray
  • asshtray
  • asthray
  • sahtray

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahstray2ashhtray1ashrtay2ashtary2ashtrayy1ashtrray1ashtrya2ashttray1
Edit distance from "ashtray"

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 "ashtray"?
"ashtray" is spelled A-S-H-T-R-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/.
What does "ashtray" mean?
As a noun, "ashtray" means: A receptacle for ash and butts from cigarettes and cigars.
What words are commonly confused with "ashtray"?
"ashtray" is commonly confused with "astral", "astray", "ashram". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ashtray"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ashtray" is /ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/. 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 "ashtray"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂eHs-der.? Proto-Germanic *askǭ Proto-West Germanic *askā Old English æsce Middle English asshe English ash Proto-Germanic *trawją Proto-West Germanic *trawi Old English trēġ Middle English trey English tray En... 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 “ashtray”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-S-H-T-R-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈæʃ.tɹeɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “astral” - see the side-by-side comparison. ashtray vs astral
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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