offbeat
/ˈɒfbiːt/noun, adjective
offbeat is spelled O-F-F-B-E-A-T: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, offbeat means “The beats not normally accented in a measure” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of offbeat is offbeats.
How many letters and syllables are in offbeat?
| Letters | 7: O-F-F-B-E-A-T |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 38,416th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is offbeat?
Offbeat appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 38,416th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce offbeat?
- /ˈɒfbiːt/
As an adjective (“Unusual; unconventional; not ordinary”): /ɒfˈbiːt/.
Offbeat has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-offbeat.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with offbeat
Also written: off-beat (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of offbeat
- offbeats plural
- off-beat
- off beat
- more offbeat comparative
- most offbeat superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does offbeat mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
The beats not normally accented in a measure.
The congregation clapped along on the offbeat.
- 2
slangAn unconventional person, someone who does not follow the beat, who chooses not to conform.
adjective
- 1
slangUnusual; unconventional; not ordinary.
He has such an offbeat sense of humor that hardly anyone finds his jokes amusing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Offbeat in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense unusual, unconventional, not ordinary:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | décalé |
| German | ungewöhnlich, unkonventionell, schräg |
| Spanish | raro, poco convencional, original |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does offbeat come from?
From off- + beat; not following the beat (e.g., of a drum that sounds out cadence).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).