obelisk

Name: obelisk, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈɒbəlɪsk/

//ˈɒbəlɪsk// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“obelisk” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,999. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,999
frequency rank, English: 15,494
“O” headwords: 10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.

Key facts for obelisk
Property	Value
Headword	obelisk
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈɒbəlɪsk/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#38,999
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obelisk” 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). obelisk lands here:

#38,999

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around obelisk (IPA /ˈɒbəlɪsk/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,999 among 15,494 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for obelisk, with forms such as "boelisk", "obbelisk", and "obeilsk". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Compare obelus. The correct English form is obelisk, spelled O-B-E-L-I-S-K.

Definition

1
A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.
2
Synonym of obelus.
3
Synonym of obelus.
4
An RNA structure similar to a viroid, with a rod-like secondary structure, which comprises its own phylogenetic group.

Etymology

From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Compare obelus.

Synonyms

aguillapylon stela

This word in other languages

obelisco(Español)obélisque(Français)Obelisk(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

boelisk
obbelisk
obeilsk
obeliks
obeliskk
obelissk
obellisk
obelsik
obleisk
oeblisk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of obelisk - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "obelisk"

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 "obelisk"?

"obelisk" is spelled O-B-E-L-I-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒbəlɪsk/.

What does "obelisk" mean?

As a noun, "obelisk" means: A tall, square, tapered, stone monolith topped with a pyramidal point, frequently used as a monument.

What are common misspellings of "obelisk"?

Common misspellings include "boelisk", "obbelisk", "obeilsk", "obeliks", "obeliskk". The correct spelling is "obelisk".

How do you pronounce "obelisk"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obelisk" is /ˈɒbəlɪsk/. 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 "obelisk"?

From Middle French obelisque, from Latin obeliscus (“obelisk”), from Ancient Greek ὀβελίσκος (obelískos), diminutive of ὀβελός (obelós, “needle”). Compare obelus. 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 “obelisk”

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

The one correct English spelling is O-B-E-L-I-S-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈɒbəlɪsk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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.