odd

/ɒd/

//ɒd// adj

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

"odd" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“odd” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,515 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,515
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Differing from what is usual, ordinary or expected.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

odd vs of
33% similar
odd vs on
33% similar
odd vs or
33% similar

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

Key facts for odd
PropertyValue
Headwordodd
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɒd/
Letters3
Frequency rank#3,515
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “odd” 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). odd lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for odd is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɒd/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,515 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for odd in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "of", "on", "or", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English odde, od (“odd (not even); leftover after division into pairs”), from Old Norse oddi (“odd, third or additional number; triangle”), from oddr (“point of a weapon”), from Proto-Germanic *uzdaz (“point”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“t… The correct English form is odd, spelled O-D-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Differing from what is usual, ordinary or expected.
  2. 2
    Differing from what is usual, ordinary or expected.
  3. 3
    Without a corresponding mate in a pair or set; unmatched; (of a pair or set) mismatched.
  4. 4
    Left over, remaining after the rest have been paired or grouped.
  5. 5
    Left over or remaining (as a small amount) after counting, payment, etc.
  6. 6
    Scattered; occasional, infrequent; not forming part of a set or pattern.
  7. 7
    Not regular or planned.
  8. 8
    Used or employed for odd jobs.
  9. 9
    Numerically indivisible by two.
  10. 10
    Numbered with an odd number.
  11. 11
    About, approximately; somewhat more than (an approximated round number).
  12. 12
    Out of the way, secluded.
  13. 13
    On the left.
  14. 14
    Singular in excellence; matchless; peerless; outstanding.

Etymology

From Middle English odde, od (“odd (not even); leftover after division into pairs”), from Old Norse oddi (“odd, third or additional number; triangle”), from oddr (“point of a weapon”), from Proto-Germanic *uzdaz (“point”), from Proto-Indo-European *wes- (“to stick, prick, pierce, sting”) + *dʰeh₁- (“to set, place”). Cognate to Icelandic oddi (“triangle, point of land, odd number”), Swedish udda (“odd”), udd (“a point”), Danish od (“point of weapon””) and odde (“a headland, point”), Norwegian Bokmål odde (“a point”, “odd”, “peculiar”); related to Old English ord (“a point”). Doublet of ord ("point").

This word in other languages

guacho(Español)impair(Français)einzeln(Deutsch)ímpar(Português)

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 "odd"?
"odd" is spelled O-D-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɒd/.
What does "odd" mean?
As an adjective, "odd" means: Differing from what is usual, ordinary or expected.
What words are commonly confused with "odd"?
"odd" is commonly confused with "of", "on", "or". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "odd"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "odd" is /ɒd/. 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 "odd"?
From Middle English odde, od (“odd (not even); leftover after division into pairs”), from Old Norse oddi (“odd, third or additional number; triangle”), from oddr (“point of a weapon”), from Proto-Germanic *uzdaz (“point”), from Proto-Indo-European... 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 “odd”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-D-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɒd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “of” - see the side-by-side comparison. odd vs of
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list