obstinate

/ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/

//ˈɒb.stɪ.nət// adj

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

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

The verdict

“obstinate” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,365. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,365
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obstinate · obstinate · English

obstinate · rank #40,365 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,365
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oba

Nearest frequency peer: oba (-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 “obstinate”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “obstinate” 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
Key facts for obstinate
PropertyValue
Headwordobstinate
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/
Letters9
Frequency rank#40,365
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “obstinate”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).obstinatelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “oba” (#40,364), “NWS” (#40,363), “Nuttall” (#40,362). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obstinate” is #40,365. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around obstinate (IPA /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #40,365 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for obstinate, with forms such as "bostinate", "obbstinate", and "obsitnate". 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 nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from stare (“to sta… The correct English form is obstinate, spelled O-B-S-T-I-N-A-T-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
  2. 2
    Not easily subdued or removed.
  3. 3
    Typical of an obstinate person; fixed and unmoving.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. From this consideration it is that we have derived the custom, in times of war, to punish […] those who are obstinate to defend a place that by the rules of war is not tenable […]
  2. […] the junior Osborne was quite as obstinate as the senior: when he wanted a thing, quite as firm in his resolution to get it; and quite as violent when angered, as his father in his most stern moments

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from stare (“to stand”). Doublet of ostinato.

Synonyms

bloody-mindedpersistentstubbornpertinaciouspersistentunrelentinginexorableadamantardentbent onbullheadedcertainchronicconfirmeddetermineddieharddoggedhard-heartedhard-nosedhardheadedheadstrongimmovableincalcitrantinflexibleirrefragableinsistentintractableintransigentintrepidinveteratemulishobdurateobstinateobstreperouspeevishperemptorypigheadedrecalcitrantrefractoryresoluteresolvedrigidself-willedstalwartstaunchsteadfaststeadystubborn as a mulesullentenaciousterminalthranthwarttoughtruculentunbendinguncompromisingunyieldingvehementwilfulwillful

Antonyms

compromisingtransigentflexiblesycophanticyielding

This word in other languages

obstinado(Español)obstiné(Français)hartnäckig(Deutsch)obstinado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • bostinate
  • obbstinate
  • obsitnate
  • obsstinate
  • obstiante
  • obstinaet
  • obstinatte
  • obstinnate
  • obstintae
  • obstniate
  • obsttinate
  • obtsinate
  • osbtinate

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

bostinate2obbstinate1obsitnate2obsstinate1obstiante2obstinaet2obstinatte1obstinnate1
Edit distance from "obstinate"

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 "obstinate"?
"obstinate" is spelled O-B-S-T-I-N-A-T-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/.
What does "obstinate" mean?
As an adjective, "obstinate" means: Stubbornly adhering to an opinion, purpose, or course, usually with implied unreasonableness; persistent.
What are common misspellings of "obstinate"?
Common misspellings include "bostinate", "obbstinate", "obsitnate", "obsstinate", "obstiante". The correct spelling is "obstinate".
How do you pronounce "obstinate"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obstinate" is /ˈɒb.stɪ.nət/. 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 "obstinate"?
Inherited from Middle English obstinat(e) (“obstinate, stubborn”), from Latin obstinātus, perfect passive participle of obstinō (“set one's mind firmly upon, resolve”) (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from ob (“before”) + *stinare, from star... 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 "obstinate", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

modulator#40,345philology#40,388pointedly#40,397powerball#40,400

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

pretence13 variantsloitering13 variantsinwardly13 variantshyacinth13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list