o'clock
/əˈklɒk/
"o-clock" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“o'clock” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,716. The variants make it a useful spelling check.
- #6,716
- frequency rank, English
- 15,494
- “O” headwords
- 10
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In conjunction with a numeral, indicates the time within a twelve-hour period (midnight to noon or noon to midnight), specifically the time when the hour hand of a clock points precisely to the sym...
Corpus desk
Index EN-o-clock · o'clock · English
o'clock · rank #6,716 · 10 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-COMMON #6,716
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-2 2 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-MID 10 variants
- BOOK-DENSE 15,494
- PHOTO-FINISH nut
Nearest frequency peer: nut (-1 rank slots)
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.
Frequency neighbourhood for “o'clock”
Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)
- newest
newest
93,288 corpus weight
- nonetheless
nonetheless
93,287 corpus weight
- nut
nut
93,286 corpus weight
- o'clock
o'clock
93,285 corpus weight
- opposing
opposing
93,284 corpus weight
- Orlando
Orlando
93,282 corpus weight
What this shows Bars show where “o'clock” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | o'clock |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adverb |
| IPA | /əˈklɒk/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Frequency rank | #6,716 |
| Misspellings tracked | 10 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “o'clock” sits in English frequency
A misspelling magnet
The generator records 10 spelling variants around o'clock (IPA /əˈklɒk/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #6,716 among 15,494 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.
Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for o'clock, with forms such as "'oclock", "o'cclock", and "o'clcok". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: Shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.]. The correct English form is o'clock, spelled O-'-C-L-O-C-K.
Definition
- 1In conjunction with a numeral, indicates the time within a twelve-hour period (midnight to noon or noon to midnight), specifically the time when the hour hand of a clock points precisely to the symbol or marking corresponding to the designated numeral, i.e., at the hour.
- 2Used to indicate that it is time to do a specific action, or time for a specific action to occur.
- 3In conjunction with a numeral, indicates the direction, relative to the speaker or a vehicle, especially an aircraft, corresponding to the direction the hour hand is pointing at the time corresponding to the numeral, with twelve representing directly ahead on a horizontal plane, or directly up on a vertical plane, and three being to the right on either.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how o'clock appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
We are expected to be there at six o'clock in the morning!
It is two o'clock.
Etymology
Shortened form of "of the clock", from Middle English of the clokke [from late 14th c.].
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as:
- 'oclock
- o'cclock
- o'clcok
- o'cllock
- o'clocck
- o'clockk
- o'clokc
- o'colck
- o'lcock
- oc'lock
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of o'clock - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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 English 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 May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "o'clock"?
What does "o'clock" mean?
What are common misspellings of "o'clock"?
How do you pronounce "o'clock"?
What is the origin of the word "o'clock"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Similar English words by spelling shape
Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "o'clock", not the corpus desk frequency band.
Same letter count
Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).
Similar misspelling depth
Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).
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.