# zero

> English word · Numeral · IPA /ˈzɪəɹəʊ/ · frequency rank #2,377

## Definitions
1. The cardinal number occurring before one and that denotes no quantity or amount at all, represented in Arabic numerals as 0.

## Etymology
Collectively borrowed from Early Modern Spanish zero, Middle French zero, and (their etymon) Old Italian zero, from Medieval Latin zēphirum, from Arabic صِفْر (ṣifr, “nothing; cipher”), itself calqued from Sanskrit शून्य (śūnyá, “void; nothingness”). Doublet of cipher and chiffre. Cognate with Spanish cero and French zéro.

## Easily confused with
- **Zo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zo)
- **zoo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zoo)
- **Zeus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zeus)
- **Zhao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zhao)
- **zest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zest)
- **zeta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zeta)
- **zorro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zero-vs-zorro)
- **ze** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ze-vs-zero)
- **Zen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zen-vs-zero)
- **zee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zee-vs-zero)
- **zed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zed-vs-zero)
- **Zara** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zara-vs-zero)
- **zeal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zeal-vs-zero)
- **Zeke** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zeke-vs-zero)
- **Zeno** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zeno-vs-zero)
- **zebra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/zebra-vs-zero)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ezro`, `zeor`, `zerro`, `zreo`, `zzero`

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