obstinacy

/ˈɑbstɪnəsi/

//ˈɑbstɪnəsi// noun

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

"obstinacy" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obstinacy” is uncommon English (frequency #72,604 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#72,604
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.

Key facts for obstinacy
PropertyValue
Headwordobstinacy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɑbstɪnəsi/
Letters9
Frequency rank#72,604
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obstinacy” 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). obstinacy lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

obstinacy is uncommon English at frequency #72,604 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɑbstɪnəsi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for obstinacy, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From obstinate + -cy. The correct English form is obstinacy, spelled O-B-S-T-I-N-A-C-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    The state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.
  2. 2
    A group of bison; the collective noun for bison.

Etymology

From obstinate + -cy.

Synonyms

convictioninsistencerecalcitrancestubbornnesstenacityobstinacydoggednesspertinacityself-willresolvetemerityvehemenceintransigencepigheadedness

This word in other languages

porfía(Español)entêtement(Français)Sturheit(Deutsch)obstinação(Português)

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 "obstinacy"?
"obstinacy" is spelled O-B-S-T-I-N-A-C-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɑbstɪnəsi/.
What does "obstinacy" mean?
As a noun, "obstinacy" means: The state, or an act, of stubbornness or doggedness.
How do you pronounce "obstinacy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obstinacy" is /ˈɑbstɪnəsi/. 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 "obstinacy"?
From obstinate + -cy. 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 “obstinacy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-B-S-T-I-N-A-C-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɑbstɪnəsi/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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