# occur

> English word · Verb · IPA /əˈkɜː/ · frequency rank #3,187

## Definitions
1. To happen or take place.
2. To present or offer itself.
3. To come or be presented to the mind; to suggest itself.
4. To be present or found.

## Etymology
Originally "meet (in argument)", borrowed from Middle French occurrer, from Latin occurrō (“run to meet, run against, befall, present itself”) from prefix ob- (“against”) + verb currō (“run, hurry, move”).

## Easily confused with
- **our** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-our)
- **OCR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-ocr)
- **Oscar** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-oscar)
- **odour** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-odour)
- **occurs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-occurs)
- **occured** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occur-vs-occured)
- **OCC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occ-vs-occur)
- **occupy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occupy-vs-occur)
- **occult** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/occult-vs-occur)

## Common misspellings (5)
`cocur`, `occru`, `occurr`, `ocucr`, `ocur`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/occur