# urea

> English word · Noun · IPA /jʊˈɹiːə/ · frequency rank #35,572

## Definitions
1. A water-soluble organic compound, CO(NH₂)₂, formed by the metabolism of proteins and excreted in the urine.
2. Any N-substituted derivative of urea, with the general formula (R₁R₂N)CO(NR₃R₄).

## Etymology
From New Latin, from French urée, from Ancient Greek οὖρον (oûron, “urine”).

## Easily confused with
- **use** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-use)
- **USA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-usa)
- **URL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-url)
- **Uri** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uri)
- **urn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-urn)
- **UVA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uva)
- **ute** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-ute)
- **urs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-urs)
- **uta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uta)
- **used** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-used)
- **uses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uses)
- **user** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-user)
- **urge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-urge)
- **USDA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-usda)
- **uric** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uric)
- **urged** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-urged)
- **Uriel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uriel)
- **Uriah** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/urea-vs-uriah)
- **ur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ur-vs-urea)
- **UA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ua-vs-urea)

## Common misspellings (4)
`ruea`, `uera`, `urae`, `urrea`

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