offal

Name: offal, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈɒf.əl/

//ˈɒf.əl// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“offal” is an uncommon English word, ranked #52,531 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#52,531
frequency rank, English: 5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The internal organs of an animal (entrails or innards), used as food.

Key facts for offal
Property	Value
Headword	offal
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈɒf.əl/
Letters	5
Frequency rank	#52,531
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “offal” 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). offal lands here:

#52,531

#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 offal is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒf.əl/. Corpus data places it at rank #52,531 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for offal in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English offal, offall, offalle (“offal, refuse, scrap waste”), equivalent to off- + fall. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Oufal (“offal”), West Frisian ôffal (“offal”), Dutch afval (“waste, refuse”), German Low German Offall (“offal”), German Abf… The correct English form is offal, spelled O-F-F-A-L.

Definition

1
The internal organs of an animal (entrails or innards), used as food.
2
A by-product of the grain milling process, which may include bran, husks, etc.
3
A dead body; carrion.
4
That which is thrown away as worthless or unfit for use; refuse; rubbish.

Etymology

From Middle English offal, offall, offalle (“offal, refuse, scrap waste”), equivalent to off- + fall. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Oufal (“offal”), West Frisian ôffal (“offal”), Dutch afval (“waste, refuse”), German Low German Offall (“offal”), German Abfall (“waste, refuse”), Danish affald (“waste, refuse”), Swedish avfall (“waste, refuse”), Old English offeallan (“to cut off”).

This word in other languages

despojos(Español)abats(Français)Innereien(Deutsch)miúdos(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 "offal"?

"offal" is spelled O-F-F-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒf.əl/.

What does "offal" mean?

As a noun, "offal" means: The internal organs of an animal (entrails or innards), used as food.

How do you pronounce "offal"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "offal" is /ˈɒf.əl/. 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 "offal"?

From Middle English offal, offall, offalle (“offal, refuse, scrap waste”), equivalent to off- + fall. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Oufal (“offal”), West Frisian ôffal (“offal”), Dutch afval (“waste, refuse”), German Low German Offall (“offal”), ... 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 “offal”

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

The one correct English spelling is O-F-F-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈɒf.əl/ (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

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.