Sarah

/ˈsɛɚ.ə/

//ˈsɛɚ.ə// name

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

The verdict

“Sarah” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,134 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#3,134
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac in the Bible.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Sarah vs shah
40% similar
Sarah vs sash
40% similar
Sarah vs Sera
60% similar

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

Key facts for Sarah
PropertyValue
HeadwordSarah
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈsɛɚ.ə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,134
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Sarah” 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). Sarah 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 Sarah is 5 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈsɛɚ.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,134 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 Sarah, with forms such as "asrah", "saarh", and "sarahh". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "shah", "sash", "Sera", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Biblical Hebrew שָׂרָה (śārâ, “lady, princess”), from the Biblical figure originally named Sarai (שָׂרָי (śārāy, literally “masters, princes”)). The correct English form is Sarah, spelled S-A-R-A-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac in the Bible.
  2. 2
    A female given name from Hebrew.
  3. 3
    A placename
  4. 4
    A placename

Etymology

From Biblical Hebrew שָׂרָה (śārâ, “lady, princess”), from the Biblical figure originally named Sarai (שָׂרָי (śārāy, literally “masters, princes”)).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: asrah,saarh,sarahh,sarha,sarrah,sraah,ssarah

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

asrah2saarh2sarahh1sarha2sarrah1sraah2ssarah1
Edit distance from "Sarah"

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 "Sarah"?
"Sarah" is spelled S-A-R-A-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈsɛɚ.ə/.
What does "Sarah" mean?
As a proper noun, "Sarah" means: The wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac in the Bible.
What words are commonly confused with "Sarah"?
"Sarah" is commonly confused with "shah", "sash", "Sera". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Sarah"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Sarah" is /ˈsɛɚ.ə/. 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 "Sarah"?
From Biblical Hebrew שָׂרָה (śārâ, “lady, princess”), from the Biblical figure originally named Sarai (שָׂרָי (śārāy, literally “masters, princes”)). 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 “Sarah”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is S-A-R-A-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈsɛɚ.ə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “shah” - see the side-by-side comparison. Sarah vs shah
  • 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