obvi

/ˈɒb.vi/

//ˈɒb.vi// adj

"obvi" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“obvi” is an uncommon English word, ranked #85,593 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#85,593
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Clipping of obvious.

Key facts for obvi
PropertyValue
Headwordobvi
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒb.vi/
Letters4
Frequency rank#85,593
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “obvi” 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). obvi 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 obvi is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒb.vi/. Corpus data places it at rank #85,593 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Clipping of obvious.".

obvi has no tracked misspelling variants, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of obvious or obviously. The correct English form is obvi, spelled O-B-V-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Clipping of obvious.

Etymology

Clipping of obvious or obviously.

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 "obvi"?
"obvi" is spelled O-B-V-I. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒb.vi/.
What does "obvi" mean?
As an adjective, "obvi" means: Clipping of obvious.
How do you pronounce "obvi"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "obvi" is /ˈɒb.vi/. 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 "obvi"?
Clipping of obvious or obviously. 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 “obvi”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-B-V-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒb.vi/ (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
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