at

/æt/

//æt// prep

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

"at" is a 2-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“at” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #21 in English word frequency and used as a preposition.

#21
frequency rank, English
2
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

at vs aw
50% similar
at vs AU
0% similar
at vs AZ
0% similar

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

Key facts for at
PropertyValue
Headwordat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPreposition
IPA/æt/
Letters2
Frequency rank#21
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “at” 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). at lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for at is 2 letters long, classified as a preposition, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /æt/. Corpus data places it at rank #21 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 21 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for at, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "aw", "AU", "AZ", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Germanic *at Old English æt Middle English at English at From Middle English at, from Old English æt (“at, near, by, toward”), from Proto-West Germanic *at, from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, near, to”), from Proto-… The correct English form is at, spelled A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
  2. 2
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
  3. 3
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
  4. 4
    In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
  5. 5
    Present or taking place during (an event).
  6. 6
    Indicating time of occurrence, especially an instant of time, or a period of time relatively short in context or from the speaker’s perspective.
  7. 7
    Indicating time of occurrence, especially an instant of time, or a period of time relatively short in context or from the speaker’s perspective.
  8. 8
    In the direction of; towards; (often implied to be in a hostile or careless manner).
  9. 9
    Indicating action bearing upon something, especially continued or repeated action.
  10. 10
    In response or reaction to.
  11. 11
    Occupied in (activity).
  12. 12
    In a state of.
  13. 13
    Subject to.
  14. 14
    Denotes a price.
  15. 15
    Indicates a position on a scale or in a series.
  16. 16
    In certain phrases, used to indicate the manner in which something happens or is done.
  17. 17
    Indicates a specific speed or rate that is maintained by something.
  18. 18
    Indicates a means or method.
  19. 19
    On the subject of; regarding.
  20. 20
    Bothering, irritating, causing discomfort to
  21. 21
    Also used in various other idiomatic combinations: at a pinch, at all, at fault, at pains, at risk, at that, etc.; see the individual entries.

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Germanic *at Old English æt Middle English at English at From Middle English at, from Old English æt (“at, near, by, toward”), from Proto-West Germanic *at, from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, near, to”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd (“near, at”). Cognate with Scots at (“at”), North Frisian äät, äit, et, it (“at”), Danish at (“to”), Swedish åt (“for, toward”), Norwegian åt (“to”), Faroese at (“at, to, toward”), Icelandic að (“to, towards”), Gothic 𐌰𐍄 (at, “at”), Latin ad (“to, near”).

This word in other languages

en(Español)à(Français)an(Deutsch)em(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 "at"?
"at" is spelled A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /æt/.
What does "at" mean?
As a preposition, "at" means: In, near, or in the general vicinity of (a particular place).
What words are commonly confused with "at"?
"at" is commonly confused with "aw", "AU", "AZ". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "at"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "at" is /æt/. 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 "at"?
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Germanic *at Old English æt Middle English at English at From Middle English at, from Old English æt (“at, near, by, toward”), from Proto-West Germanic *at, from Proto-Germanic *at (“at, near, to”), f... 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 “at”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /æt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “aw” - see the side-by-side comparison. at vs aw
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list