obvi

/ˈɒb.vi/

//ˈɒb.vi// adj

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

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

The verdict

“obvi” is uncommon English (frequency #85,593 among 1,431 “O” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#85,593
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Clipping of obvious.

Corpus desk

Index EN-obvi · obvi · English

obvi · rank #85,593 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #85,593
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH nyah

Nearest frequency peer: nyah (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “obvi”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “obvi” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
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)

Long-tail rank of “obvi” in English

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).obvifalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “nyah” (#85,592), “octahedron” (#85,594), “NSPCC” (#85,588). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “obvi” is #85,593. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

obvi is uncommon English at frequency #85,593 among 1,431 “O” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˈɒb.vi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Theater owner James L. Nederlander announced he is producing the new stage show, titled Once Upon a One More Time (an obvi nod to Spears' debut single '...Baby One More Time').
  2. Tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas. I’m just warming up here, so, yes, this is the "obvi" suggestion.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "obvi", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

nyah#85,592patt#85,632Naas#85,553pern#85,641

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list