zoar

/ˈzəʊ.ɑː/

//ˈzəʊ.ɑː// noun

"zoar" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“zoar” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A place of refuge; a sanctuary.

Corpus desk

Index EN-zoar · zoar · English

zoar · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "Z" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Key facts for zoar
PropertyValue
Headwordzoar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈzəʊ.ɑː/
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “zoar” in English

zoarsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

zoar is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈzəʊ.ɑː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A place of refuge; a sanctuary.".

Zero misspellings are on record for zoar in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Zoar, mentioned in the Bible as the place where Lot fled with his wife and two daughters to escape death when Yahweh destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, from Biblical Hebrew צֹעַר (tso`ar, “insignificance, smallness”). The correct English form is zoar, spelled Z-O-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A place of refuge; a sanctuary.

Etymology

From Zoar, mentioned in the Bible as the place where Lot fled with his wife and two daughters to escape death when Yahweh destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, from Biblical Hebrew צֹעַר (tso`ar, “insignificance, smallness”).

Synonyms

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "zoar"?
"zoar" is spelled Z-O-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈzəʊ.ɑː/.
What does "zoar" mean?
As a noun, "zoar" means: A place of refuge; a sanctuary.
How do you pronounce "zoar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "zoar" is /ˈzəʊ.ɑː/. 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 "zoar"?
From Zoar, mentioned in the Bible as the place where Lot fled with his wife and two daughters to escape death when Yahweh destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, from Biblical Hebrew צֹעַר (tso`ar, “insignificance, smallness”). 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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list