ebony

/ˈɛb.ən.i/

//ˈɛb.ən.i// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ebony” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,548 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,548
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ebony vs eon
60% similar
ebony vs elon
60% similar
ebony vs econ
60% similar

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

Key facts for ebony
PropertyValue
Headwordebony
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɛb.ən.i/
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,548
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ebony” 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). ebony 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 ebony is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɛb.ən.i/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,548 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for ebony, with forms such as "beony", "ebbony", and "ebnoy". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "eon", "elon", "econ", 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 earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3 The correct English form is ebony, spelled E-B-O-N-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
  2. 2
    A tree that yields such wood.
  3. 3
    A deep, dark black colour.
  4. 4
    Dark skin colour.
  5. 5
    A black key on a piano or other keyboard instrument (as opposed to ivory).

Etymology

From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z4:M3

This word in other languages

ébano(Español)ébène(Français)Ebenholz(Deutsch)ébano(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: beony,ebbony,ebnoy,ebonny,ebonyy,eboyn,eobny

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ebony - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

beony2ebbony1ebnoy2ebonny1ebonyy1eboyn2eobny2
Edit distance from "ebony"

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 "ebony"?
"ebony" is spelled E-B-O-N-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɛb.ən.i/.
What does "ebony" mean?
As a noun, "ebony" means: A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
What words are commonly confused with "ebony"?
"ebony" is commonly confused with "eon", "elon", "econ". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ebony"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ebony" is /ˈɛb.ən.i/. 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 "ebony"?
From earlier heben, hebeny, from Middle English ebenif, hebenyf (influenced by Late Latin hebeninus), from Ecclesiastical Latin ebenius (“of ebony”), from Latin hebenus (“ebon tree”), from Ancient Greek ἔβενος (ébenos), from Egyptian hbnj, U13:n-Z... 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 “ebony”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is E-B-O-N-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɛb.ən.i/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “eon” - see the side-by-side comparison. ebony vs eon
  • 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