Which to use
“off” is an adverb and “OK” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #124
- “off” frequency rank
- #750
- “OK” frequency rank
- 874
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | off | OK |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | In a direction away from the speaker or other reference point. | Endorsement; approval; acceptance; acquiescence. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set off and OK apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
off and OK form a confusable pair in the English index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 874, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
off is recorded at frequency rank #124, classified as anadv, pronounced /ɒf/. OK is at rank #750, tagged as anoun, pronounced /ˌəʊˈkeɪ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 874, this pair ranks #528,592 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "off" and "OK" be used interchangeably?
Remembering off vs OK
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “off”; for a noun, it's “OK”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “off” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable