soar

/sɔː/

//sɔː// verb

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

"soar" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“soar” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,493 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#17,493
frequency rank, English
4
letters
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To fly high with little effort, like a bird.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

soar vs son
50% similar
soar vs spa
50% similar
soar vs sox
50% similar

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

Key facts for soar
PropertyValue
Headwordsoar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/sɔː/
Letters4
Frequency rank#17,493
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “soar” 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). soar 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 soar is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /sɔː/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,493 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 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for soar, with forms such as "osar", "saor", and "soarr". 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, "son", "spa", "sox", 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 Middle English soren, from Old French essorer (“to fly up, soar”), from Vulgar Latin *exaurare (“to rise into the air”), from Latin ex (“out”) + aura (“the air, a breeze”), from Ancient Greek αὔρα (aúra, “breath”). Compare aura, and exhale. The correct English form is soar, spelled S-O-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To fly high with little effort, like a bird.
  2. 2
    To mount upward on wings, or as on wings, especially by gliding while employing rising air currents.
  3. 3
    To remain aloft by means of a glider or other unpowered aircraft.
  4. 4
    To rise, especially rapidly or unusually high.
  5. 5
    To rise in thought, spirits, or imagination; to be exalted in mood.

Etymology

From Middle English soren, from Old French essorer (“to fly up, soar”), from Vulgar Latin *exaurare (“to rise into the air”), from Latin ex (“out”) + aura (“the air, a breeze”), from Ancient Greek αὔρα (aúra, “breath”). Compare aura, and exhale.

This word in other languages

planear(Español)planer(Français)schweben(Deutsch)pairar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: osar,saor,soarr,ssoar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

osar2saor2soarr1ssoar1
Edit distance from "soar"

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 "soar"?
"soar" is spelled S-O-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /sɔː/.
What does "soar" mean?
As a verb, "soar" means: To fly high with little effort, like a bird.
What words are commonly confused with "soar"?
"soar" is commonly confused with "son", "spa", "sox". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "soar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "soar" is /sɔː/. 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 "soar"?
From Middle English soren, from Old French essorer (“to fly up, soar”), from Vulgar Latin *exaurare (“to rise into the air”), from Latin ex (“out”) + aura (“the air, a breeze”), from Ancient Greek αὔρα (aúra, “breath”). Compare aura, and exhale. 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 “soar”

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

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