# harbor

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɑːbə/ · frequency rank #5,599

## Definitions
1. Any place of shelter.
2. A sheltered expanse of water, adjacent to land, in which ships may anchor or dock, especially for loading and unloading.
3. A mixing box for materials.
4. A house of the zodiac, or the mansion of a heavenly body.
5. Shelter, refuge.

## Etymology
From Middle English herberwe, herber, from Old English herebeorg (“shelter, lodgings, quarters”), from Proto-West Germanic *harjabergu (“army shelter, refuge”), from *harjaz (“army”) + *bergō (“protection”), equivalent to Old English here (“army, host”) + beorg (“defense, protection, refuge”). Doublet of albergo and auberge. See also borrow, bury, harbinger, harry and here.

## Easily confused with
- **harder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harder)
- **horror** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-horror)
- **harper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harper)
- **Harmon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harmon)
- **harrow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harrow)
- **Harlow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harlow)
- **harlot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harlot)
- **harbour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbor-vs-harbour)
- **Haber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haber-vs-harbor)
- **Harbin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harbin-vs-harbor)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ahrbor`, `habror`, `harbbor`, `harborr`, `harbro`, `harobr`, `harrbor`, `hharbor`, `hrabor`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/harbor