# sober

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsəʊ.bə(ɹ)/ · frequency rank #7,850

## Definitions
1. Not drunk; not intoxicated.
2. Not under the influence of any recreational drug.
3. Not given to excessive drinking of alcohol.
4. Moderate; realistic; serious; not playful; not passionate; cool; self-controlled.
5. Dull; not bright or colorful.
6. Subdued; solemn; grave.
7. Poor; feeble.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English sober, from Old French sobre, from Latin sōbrius, from se- (“without”) + ebrius (“intoxicated”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁egʷʰ- (“drink”). In the sense "not drunk," displaced native undrunken, from Old English undruncen.

## Easily confused with
- **soe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-soe)
- **sor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sor)
- **some** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-some)
- **sole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sole)
- **sore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sore)
- **sour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sour)
- **sobs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sobs)
- **sone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sone)
- **super** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-super)
- **solar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-solar)
- **steer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-steer)
- **sonar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sonar)
- **speer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-speer)
- **sowed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sowed)
- **soccer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-soccer)
- **sooner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-sooner)
- **stoner** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-stoner)
- **solder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-solder)
- **somber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-somber)
- **stoker** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sober-vs-stoker)

## Common misspellings (7)
`osber`, `sboer`, `sobber`, `soberr`, `sobre`, `soebr`, `ssober`

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