ocelot

/ˈɒsəlɒt/

//ˈɒsəlɒt// noun

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

The verdict

“ocelot” is uncommon English (frequency #63,853 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,853
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An American feline carnivore (Leopardus pardalis, syn. Felis pardalis) covered with blackish ocellated spots and blotches which are variously arranged.

Key facts for ocelot
PropertyValue
Headwordocelot
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒsəlɒt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#63,853
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ocelot” 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). ocelot lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

ocelot is uncommon English at frequency #63,853 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɒsəlɒt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "An American feline carnivore (Leopardus pardalis, syn. Felis pardalis) covered with blackish ocellated spots and blotches which are variously arranged.".

No misspelling variants are generated for ocelot in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French ocelot, a word formed by Buffon from Classical Nahuatl ōcēlōtl (“jaguar”). The correct English form is ocelot, spelled O-C-E-L-O-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An American feline carnivore (Leopardus pardalis, syn. Felis pardalis) covered with blackish ocellated spots and blotches which are variously arranged.

Etymology

From French ocelot, a word formed by Buffon from Classical Nahuatl ōcēlōtl (“jaguar”).

Synonyms

This word in other languages

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 "ocelot"?
"ocelot" is spelled O-C-E-L-O-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒsəlɒt/.
What does "ocelot" mean?
As a noun, "ocelot" means: An American feline carnivore (Leopardus pardalis, syn. Felis pardalis) covered with blackish ocellated spots and blotches which are variously arranged.
How do you pronounce "ocelot"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ocelot" is /ˈɒsəlɒt/. 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 "ocelot"?
From French ocelot, a word formed by Buffon from Classical Nahuatl ōcēlōtl (“jaguar”). 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 “ocelot”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-C-E-L-O-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒsəlɒt/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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