umbra

/ˈʌmbɹə/

//ˈʌmbɹə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“umbra” is uncommon English (frequency #60,535 among 23,789 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,535
frequency rank, English
23,789
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object.

Key facts for umbra
PropertyValue
Headwordumbra
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʌmbɹə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#60,535
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “umbra” 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). umbra lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

umbra is uncommon English at frequency #60,535 among 23,789 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʌmbɹə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 8 senses are on record.

umbra has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Latin umbra (“shadow”). Doublet of umber. The correct English form is umbra, spelled U-M-B-R-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object.
  2. 2
    The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object.
  3. 3
    The central region of a sunspot.
  4. 4
    A shadow.
  5. 5
    An uninvited guest brought along by one who was invited.
  6. 6
    One of the family Umbridae of mudminnows.
  7. 7
    One of genus Umbrina of drums (family Sciaenidae).
  8. 8
    An element of the umbral calculus.

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin umbra (“shadow”). Doublet of umber.

This word in other languages

ombre(Français)Kernschatten(Deutsch)

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 "umbra"?
"umbra" is spelled U-M-B-R-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌmbɹə/.
What does "umbra" mean?
As a noun, "umbra" means: The fully shaded inner region of a shadow cast by an opaque object.
How do you pronounce "umbra"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umbra" is /ˈʌmbɹə/. 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 "umbra"?
Borrowed from Latin umbra (“shadow”). Doublet of umber. 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 “umbra”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is U-M-B-R-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʌmbɹə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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