umbrage

/ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ// noun

"umbrage" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“umbrage” is uncommon English (frequency #64,087 among 23,789 “U” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,087
frequency rank, English
23,789
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive.

Key facts for umbrage
PropertyValue
Headwordumbrage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#64,087
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “umbrage” 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). umbrage 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

umbrage is uncommon English at frequency #64,087 among 23,789 “U” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for umbrage, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French ombrage (“umbrage”), from Old French ombrage, from Latin umbrāticus (“in the shade”), from umbra (“shadow, shade”). The correct English form is umbrage, spelled U-M-B-R-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive.
  2. 2
    A feeling of doubt.
  3. 3
    Leaves that provide shade, as the foliage of trees.
  4. 4
    Shadow; shade.

Etymology

From Middle French ombrage (“umbrage”), from Old French ombrage, from Latin umbrāticus (“in the shade”), from umbra (“shadow, shade”).

This word in other languages

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 "umbrage"?
"umbrage" is spelled U-M-B-R-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "umbrage" mean?
As a noun, "umbrage" means: A feeling of anger or annoyance caused by something offensive.
How do you pronounce "umbrage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "umbrage" is /ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "umbrage"?
From Middle French ombrage (“umbrage”), from Old French ombrage, from Latin umbrāticus (“in the shade”), from umbra (“shadow, shade”). 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 “umbrage”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is U-M-B-R-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈʌm.bɹɪd͡ʒ/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list