oasis

/əʊˈeɪsɪs/

//əʊˈeɪsɪs// noun

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

"oasis" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oasis” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,768 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,768
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

oasis vs oss
60% similar
oasis vs OSI
0% similar
oasis vs Otis
40% similar

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

Key facts for oasis
PropertyValue
Headwordoasis
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/əʊˈeɪsɪs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,768
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “oasis” sits in English 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). oasis lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for oasis is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əʊˈeɪsɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,768 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for oasis, with forms such as "aosis", "oaiss", and "oasiss". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "oss", "OSI", "Otis", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic Egyptian wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”), G43-V28-G1-X1:N25 Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa). The correct English form is oasis, spelled O-A-S-I-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
  2. 2
    A quiet, peaceful place or situation separated from surrounding noise or bustle.
  3. 3
    A place or situation of fruitfulness or abundance separated from surrounding barrenness or scarcity.

Etymology

From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic Egyptian wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”), G43-V28-G1-X1:N25 Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa).

This word in other languages

oasis(Español)oasis(Français)Oase(Deutsch)oásis(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: aosis,oaiss,oasiss,oassi,oassis,osais

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of oasis - 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.

aosis2oaiss2oasiss1oassi2oassis1osais2
Edit distance from "oasis"

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "oasis"?
"oasis" is spelled O-A-S-I-S. The IPA pronunciation is /əʊˈeɪsɪs/.
What does "oasis" mean?
As a noun, "oasis" means: A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
What words are commonly confused with "oasis"?
"oasis" is commonly confused with "oss", "OSI", "Otis". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oasis"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oasis" is /əʊˈeɪsɪs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "oasis"?
From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic Egyptian wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”), G43-V28-G1-X1:N25 Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa). See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “oasis”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-A-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əʊˈeɪsɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “oss” - see the side-by-side comparison. oasis vs oss
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list