auger

/ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)/

//ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“auger” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,293. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,293
frequency rank, English
3,931
“A” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-auger · auger · English

auger · rank #38,293 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,293
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,931
  • PHOTO-FINISH attaché

Nearest frequency peer: attaché (-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 “auger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “auger” 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).

auger vs Ayer
40% similar
auger vs age
60% similar
auger vs ages
60% similar

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

Key facts for auger
PropertyValue
Headwordauger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#38,293
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “auger”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).augerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “attaché” (#38,292), “Ayala” (#38,294), “astrological” (#38,291). Among 3,931 “A” headwords, “auger” is #38,293. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around auger (IPA /ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,293 among 3,931 “A” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for auger, with forms such as "aguer", "auegr", and "augerr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Ayer", "age", "ages", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From a rebracketing of Middle English a nauger (seen as an + auger), from Old English nafugār (“nave drill”, literally “nave spear”), from Proto-West Germanic *nabugaiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *nabōgaizaz. Cognate with Dutch avegaar. The correct English form is auger, spelled A-U-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.
  2. 2
    A snake or plumber's snake (plumbing tool).
  3. 3
    A tool used to bore holes in the ground, e.g. for fence posts
  4. 4
    A hollow drill used to take core samples of soil, ice, etc. for scientific study.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Pete Burnett needs a fan belt for his auger.

Etymology

From a rebracketing of Middle English a nauger (seen as an + auger), from Old English nafugār (“nave drill”, literally “nave spear”), from Proto-West Germanic *nabugaiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *nabōgaizaz. Cognate with Dutch avegaar.

This word in other languages

barrena(Español)tarière(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • aguer
  • auegr
  • augerr
  • augger
  • augre
  • uager

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

aguer2auegr2augerr1augger1augre2uager2
Edit distance from "auger"

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 "auger"?
"auger" is spelled A-U-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)/.
What does "auger" mean?
As a noun, "auger" means: A carpenter's tool for boring holes longer than those bored by a gimlet.
What words are commonly confused with "auger"?
"auger" is commonly confused with "Ayer", "age", "ages". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "auger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "auger" is /ˈɔː.ɡə(ɹ)/. 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 "auger"?
From a rebracketing of Middle English a nauger (seen as an + auger), from Old English nafugār (“nave drill”, literally “nave spear”), from Proto-West Germanic *nabugaiʀ, from Proto-Germanic *nabōgaizaz. Cognate with Dutch avegaar. 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 "auger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Ayala#38,294Arian#38,289amass#38,277Botha#38,313

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Babs6 variantszing6 variantswham6 variantssepia6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list