octagon

/ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/

//ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n// noun

"octagon" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“octagon” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,520. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,520
frequency rank, English
1,431
“O” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A polygon with eight sides and eight angles.

Corpus desk

Index EN-octagon · octagon · English

octagon · rank #32,520 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,520
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,431
  • PHOTO-FINISH oaths

Nearest frequency peer: oaths (-2 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “octagon”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “octagon” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

octagon vs Otago
57% similar
octagon vs octagonal
78% similar

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

Key facts for octagon
PropertyValue
Headwordoctagon
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/
Letters7
Frequency rank#32,520
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “octagon”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).octagonlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “oaths” (#32,518), “nucleic” (#32,517), “opulent” (#32,523). Among 1,431 “O” headwords, “octagon” is #32,520. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around octagon (IPA /ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,520 among 1,431 “O” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for octagon, with forms such as "cotagon", "ocatgon", and "occtagon". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "Otago", "octagonal", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin octagōnon, octōgōnon (“octagon”), and from its etymon Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνον (oktágōnon, “octagon”), probably from Koine Greek ὀκτάγωνος (oktágōnos, “having eight corners”) + -ον (-on, suffix forming nouns). ὀκτάγωνος is derived from ὀκτᾰ- (oktă… The correct English form is octagon, spelled O-C-T-A-G-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A polygon with eight sides and eight angles.
  2. 2
    Often in the form Octagon: the arena for mixed martial arts.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. From the Circle deſcribe the Octagon, by taking half the Quadrant of the former for each Side of the latter. [...] [B]y conjoining theſe Points with ſtrait Lines agreeable to the Shape of the Octagon, the whole Work is completed.
  2. In like manner it is demonſtrated that one angle of a regular hexagon will be equal to one right angle, and one third part of one right angle; one angle of a regular octagon equal to one right angle and half a right angle; [...]

Etymology

From Latin octagōnon, octōgōnon (“octagon”), and from its etymon Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνον (oktágōnon, “octagon”), probably from Koine Greek ὀκτάγωνος (oktágōnos, “having eight corners”) + -ον (-on, suffix forming nouns). ὀκτάγωνος is derived from ὀκτᾰ- (oktă-, prefix meaning ‘eight’) (from ὀκτώ (oktṓ, “eight”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *oḱtṓw (“eight”)) + γωνία (gōnía, “angle; corner”) (probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵónu (“knee”)); analysable as octa- + -gon. The English word is cognate with Middle French octogone (modern French octogone), Italian octagono (obsolete), ottagono, Spanish octágono, octógono. Sense 2 (“arena for mixed martial arts”) refers to its shape.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • cotagon
  • ocatgon
  • occtagon
  • octaggon
  • octagno
  • octagonn
  • octaogn
  • octgaon
  • octtagon
  • otcagon

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of octagon - 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.

cotagon2ocatgon2occtagon1octaggon1octagno2octagonn1octaogn2octgaon2
Edit distance from "octagon"

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 "octagon"?
"octagon" is spelled O-C-T-A-G-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/.
What does "octagon" mean?
As a noun, "octagon" means: A polygon with eight sides and eight angles.
What words are commonly confused with "octagon"?
"octagon" is commonly confused with "Otago", "octagonal". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "octagon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "octagon" is /ˈɒktəɡ(ə)n/. 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 "octagon"?
From Latin octagōnon, octōgōnon (“octagon”), and from its etymon Ancient Greek ὀκτάγωνον (oktágōnon, “octagon”), probably from Koine Greek ὀκτάγωνος (oktágōnos, “having eight corners”) + -ον (-on, suffix forming nouns). ὀκτάγωνος is derived from ὀ... 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 "octagon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list