obscene

/əbˈsiːn/

//əbˈsiːn// adj

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

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

The verdict

“obscene” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,870 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#15,870
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Offensive to standards of decency or morality.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

obscene vs obscure
71% similar

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

Key facts for obscene
PropertyValue
Headwordobscene
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əbˈsiːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#15,870
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obscene” 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). obscene 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 obscene is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əbˈsiːn/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,870 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for obscene, with forms such as "boscene", "obbscene", and "obcsene". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "obscure", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle French obscene (modern French obscène (“indecent, obscene”)), and from its etymon Latin obscēnus, obscaenus (“inauspicious; ominous; disgusting, filthy; offensive, repulsive; indecent, lewd, obscene”). The further etymology is uncertain, but may… The correct English form is obscene, spelled O-B-S-C-E-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Offensive to standards of decency or morality.
  2. 2
    Lewd or lustful.
  3. 3
    Disgusting or repulsive.
  4. 4
    Beyond all reason; excessive.
  5. 5
    Liable to corrupt or deprave.

Etymology

From Middle French obscene (modern French obscène (“indecent, obscene”)), and from its etymon Latin obscēnus, obscaenus (“inauspicious; ominous; disgusting, filthy; offensive, repulsive; indecent, lewd, obscene”). The further etymology is uncertain, but may be from ob- (prefix meaning ‘towards’) + caenum (“dirt, filth; mire, mud”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱweyn- (“to make dirty, soil; filth; mud”)) or scaevus (“left, on the left side; clumsy; (figurative) unlucky”) (from Proto-Indo-European *skeh₂iwo-). If so, the unexpected extra -s- may be from a variant form of the original PIE root; a similar -s- exists in ex-.

Synonyms

adultbawdybluecheekydirtyindecentfilthygrossharlotimpureithyphalliclewdmuckynaughtynear the knuckleobsceneoff-colourracyraunchyribaldribaudredribaudrousrisquérortysalacioussaucyshockingsluttishslutlikesluttysmuttyspicytartishtartytrampyvulgar

Antonyms

chastedecentmoral

This word in other languages

obsceno(Español)obscène(Français)obszön(Deutsch)obsceno(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: boscene,obbscene,obcsene,obsccene,obsceen,obscenne,obscnee,obsecne,obsscene,osbcene

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of obscene - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

boscene2obbscene1obcsene2obsccene1obsceen2obscenne1obscnee2obsecne2
Edit distance from "obscene"

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 "obscene"?
"obscene" is spelled O-B-S-C-E-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈsiːn/.
What does "obscene" mean?
As an adjective, "obscene" means: Offensive to standards of decency or morality.
What words are commonly confused with "obscene"?
"obscene" is commonly confused with "obscure". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obscene"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obscene" is /əbˈsiːn/. 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 "obscene"?
From Middle French obscene (modern French obscène (“indecent, obscene”)), and from its etymon Latin obscēnus, obscaenus (“inauspicious; ominous; disgusting, filthy; offensive, repulsive; indecent, lewd, obscene”). The further etymology is uncertai... 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 “obscene”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-B-S-C-E-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /əbˈsiːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “obscure” - see the side-by-side comparison. obscene vs obscure
  • 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