oblique

/əˈbliːk/

//əˈbliːk// adj

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

"oblique" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“oblique” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #22,453. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#22,453
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or at right angles from, the base.

Corpus desk

Index EN-oblique · oblique · English

oblique · rank #22,453 · 9 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #22,453
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH northbound

Nearest frequency peer: northbound (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “oblique”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “oblique” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

oblique vs obliquely
78% similar
oblique vs oblige
71% similar

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

Key facts for oblique
PropertyValue
Headwordoblique
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əˈbliːk/
Letters7
Frequency rank#22,453
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “oblique”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).obliquelands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “northbound” (#22,452), “obscurity” (#22,454), “Odessa” (#22,455). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “oblique” is #22,453. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around oblique (IPA /əˈbliːk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #22,453 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 9 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for oblique, with forms such as "bolique", "obblique", and "obilque". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "obliquely", "oblige", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”). The correct English form is oblique, spelled O-B-L-I-Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or at right angles from, the base.
  2. 2
    Not straightforward; indirect; by implication; (sometimes even) obscure, ambiguous, or confusing.
  3. 3
    Disingenuous; underhand; morally corrupt.
  4. 4
    Not direct in descent; not following the line of father and son; collateral.
  5. 5
    Having the base of the blade asymmetrical, with one side lower than the other.
  6. 6
    Growing at an angle that is neither vertical nor horizontal.
  7. 7
    Pertaining to the oblique case (non-nominative).
  8. 8
    Indirect; employing the actual words of the speaker but as related by a third person, having the first person in pronoun and verb converted into the third person and adverbs of present time into the past, etc.
  9. 9
    Employing oblique motion, motion or progression in which one part (voice) stays on the same note while another ascends or descends.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Italic fonts are sometimes described as oblique in typographic terminology.
  2. when it has a Direction oblique to that of the former Motion, it is either added to, or subtracted from the former Motion

Etymology

From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”).

This word in other languages

oblicuo(Español)schräg(Deutsch)oblíquo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bolique
  • obblique
  • obilque
  • obliqeu
  • obliqque
  • obliuqe
  • obllique
  • oblqiue
  • olbique

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bolique2obblique1obilque2obliqeu2obliqque1obliuqe2obllique1oblqiue2
Edit distance from "oblique"

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 "oblique"?
"oblique" is spelled O-B-L-I-Q-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əˈbliːk/.
What does "oblique" mean?
As an adjective, "oblique" means: Not erect or perpendicular; not parallel to, or at right angles from, the base.
What words are commonly confused with "oblique"?
"oblique" is commonly confused with "obliquely", "oblige". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "oblique"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "oblique" is /əˈbliːk/. 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 "oblique"?
From Middle French oblique, from Latin oblīquus (also spelled oblīcus) (“slanting, sideways, indirect, envious”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Newtown#22,450Okinawa#22,456Mildred#22,441janitor#22,416

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

rancho9 variantslymph9 variantslinden9 variantsrevamp9 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list