octet

/ɒkˈtɛt/

//ɒkˈtɛt// noun

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

"octet" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“octet” is uncommon English (frequency #71,752 among 15,494 “O” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#71,752
frequency rank, English
15,494
“O” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A group or set of eight of something.

Key facts for octet
PropertyValue
Headwordoctet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɒkˈtɛt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#71,752
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “octet” 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). octet 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

octet is uncommon English at frequency #71,752 among 15,494 “O” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɒkˈtɛt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

octet has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From oct- (“eight”) + -et. The correct English form is octet, spelled O-C-T-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A group or set of eight of something.
  2. 2
    A group of eight musicians performing together.
  3. 3
    A composition for such a group of musicians.
  4. 4
    A byte of eight bits. Abbreviation: o
  5. 5
    A group of three bits, representing any of eight possible values.

Etymology

From oct- (“eight”) + -et.

This word in other languages

octeto(Español)octuor(Français)Oktett(Deutsch)

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 "octet"?
"octet" is spelled O-C-T-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɒkˈtɛt/.
What does "octet" mean?
As a noun, "octet" means: A group or set of eight of something.
How do you pronounce "octet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "octet" is /ɒkˈtɛt/. 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 "octet"?
From oct- (“eight”) + -et. 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 “octet”

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

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