octopus

[ˈɒktəpəs]

/[ˈɒktəpəs]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“octopus” is uncommon German (frequency #84,367 among 14,908 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#84,367
frequency rank, German
14,908
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Oktopus, Krake

Key facts for octopus
PropertyValue
Headwordoctopus
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈɒktəpəs]
Letters7
Frequency rank#84,367
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “octopus” sits in German 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). octopus 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

octopus is uncommon German at frequency #84,367 among 14,908 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈɒktəpəs]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Oktopus, Krake".

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for octopus, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling pattern is best understood through pronunciation rather than a traceable origin. The correct German form is octopus, spelled O-C-T-O-P-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Oktopus, Krake

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 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "octopus"?
"octopus" is spelled O-C-T-O-P-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈɒktəpəs].
What does "octopus" mean?
As a noun, "octopus" means: Oktopus, Krake
How do you pronounce "octopus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "octopus" is [ˈɒktəpəs]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "octopus" come from?
"octopus" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “octopus”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is O-C-T-O-P-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈɒktəpəs] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German 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