ab ovo

[ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o]

/[ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o]/ phrase

The verdict

“ab ovo” is uncommon Spanish (outside the top frequency list), classed as a phrase. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency Spanish
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Desde el origen, desde tiempos antiquísimos.

Corpus desk

Index ES-ab-ovo · ab ovo · Spanish

ab ovo · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "A" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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 ab ovo
PropertyValue
Headwordab ovo
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechPhrase
IPA[ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o]
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Cola larga: rango de “ab ovo” en español

ab ovoqueda fuera de las 100.000 palabras españolas más frecuentes, en la cola larga de vocabulario técnico, arcaico o raro, justo donde más se duda de la ortografía.

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

Rare enough to double-check

ab ovo is uncommon Spanish outside the top frequency list, classed as aphrase, transcribed [ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Desde el origen, desde tiempos antiquísimos.".

ab ovo doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable Spanish rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct Spanish form is ab ovo, spelled A-B- -O-V-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Desde el origen, desde tiempos antiquísimos.

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 "ab ovo"?
"ab ovo" is spelled A-B- -O-V-O. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o].
What does "ab ovo" mean?
As a phrase, "ab ovo" means: Desde el origen, desde tiempos antiquísimos.
How do you pronounce "ab ovo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ab ovo" is [ˈaβ̞ ˈoβ̞o]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ab ovo" come from?
"ab ovo" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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