obtuse

/əbˈtjuːs/

//əbˈtjuːs// adj

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

"obtuse" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obtuse” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,588 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#27,588
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

obtuse vs obese
67% similar

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

Key facts for obtuse
PropertyValue
Headwordobtuse
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/əbˈtjuːs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#27,588
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obtuse” 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). obtuse 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 obtuse is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /əbˈtjuːs/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,588 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for obtuse, with forms such as "botuse", "obbtuse", and "obtsue". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "obese", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English obtuse, from Latin obtūsus (“blunt, dull; obtuse”), past participle of obtundere, from obtundō (“to batter, beat, strike; to blunt, dull”), from ob- (“against”) (see ob-) + tundō (“to beat, strike; to bruise, crush, pound”) (ultimately f… The correct English form is obtuse, spelled O-B-T-U-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
  2. 2
    Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
  3. 3
    Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
  4. 4
    Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
  5. 5
    Intellectually dull or dim-witted.
  6. 6
    Of sound, etc.: deadened, muffled, muted.
  7. 7
    Indirect or circuitous.

Etymology

From Middle English obtuse, from Latin obtūsus (“blunt, dull; obtuse”), past participle of obtundere, from obtundō (“to batter, beat, strike; to blunt, dull”), from ob- (“against”) (see ob-) + tundō (“to beat, strike; to bruise, crush, pound”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tewd-, from *(s)tew- (“to hit; to push”)). More at obtund.

Synonyms

densedimdim-wittedthickthickheadeddeadenedmuffledobtuse-angledbluntdull

Antonyms

brightintelligenton the ballquick off the markquick-wittedsharpsmartclearsharpacuteacuteacute-angledpointedsharp

This word in other languages

obtuso(Español)obtus(Français)stumpf(Deutsch)embotado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: botuse,obbtuse,obtsue,obttuse,obtues,obtusse,obutse,otbuse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of obtuse - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

botuse2obbtuse1obtsue2obttuse1obtues2obtusse1obutse2otbuse2
Edit distance from "obtuse"

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 "obtuse"?
"obtuse" is spelled O-B-T-U-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /əbˈtjuːs/.
What does "obtuse" mean?
As an adjective, "obtuse" means: Blunt; not sharp, pointed, or acute in form.
What words are commonly confused with "obtuse"?
"obtuse" is commonly confused with "obese". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "obtuse"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obtuse" is /əbˈtjuːs/. 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 "obtuse"?
From Middle English obtuse, from Latin obtūsus (“blunt, dull; obtuse”), past participle of obtundere, from obtundō (“to batter, beat, strike; to blunt, dull”), from ob- (“against”) (see ob-) + tundō (“to beat, strike; to bruise, crush, pound”) (ul... 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 “obtuse”

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

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