Ost

[ɔst]

/[ɔst]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Ost” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #2,356) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#2,356
frequency rank, German
1,007
“O” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Kurzform für die Haupthimmelsrichtung Osten in der Navigation, Seefahrt

Corpus desk

Index DE-ost · Ost · German

Ost · rank #2,356 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #2,356
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,007
  • PHOTO-FINISH Nord

Nearest frequency peer: Nord (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “Ost”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “Ost” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Ost vs OT
33% similar
Ost vs ou
0% similar
Ost vs ov
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Ost
PropertyValue
HeadwordOst
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ɔst]
Letters3
Frequency rank#2,356
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Ost” 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). Ost lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for Ost is neighbouring look-alikes ("OT", "ou", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced [ɔst]. Frequency #2,356 among 1,007 “O” headwords. 5 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Ost doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "OT", "ou", "ov", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

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 Ost, spelled O-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Kurzform für die Haupthimmelsrichtung Osten in der Navigation, Seefahrt
  2. 2
    Wind aus Osten
  3. 3
    Weltteil
  4. 4
    Bestimmungswort zu einem Toponym
  5. 5
    Nachsatz zu einem Ort oder Toponym oder diesem mit Bindestrich nachgestellt

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how Ost appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Jetzt geht es nach Hause! Kurs Ost!
  2. Seit Abend weht ein kräftiger Ost.

Synonyms

OstwindOststurmOstorkanOstblock

Antonyms

WestNordSüd

This word in other languages

east(English)est(Français)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Ost"?
"Ost" is spelled O-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is [ɔst].
What does "Ost" mean?
As a noun, "Ost" means: Kurzform für die Haupthimmelsrichtung Osten in der Navigation, Seefahrt
What words are commonly confused with "Ost"?
"Ost" is commonly confused with "OT", "ou", "ov". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Ost"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Ost" is [ɔst]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Ost" come from?
"Ost" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Ost", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nah#2,353tja#2,365Uni#2,366Ruf#2,317

What to do next

You've looked up "Ost". Here's where to go from here.

  • "Ost" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "OT". View pair
  • Usage frequency rank #2,356 among German headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more German words in the "O" letter cohort. O–Z browse

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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