offer

/ˈɒfə(ɹ)/

//ˈɒfə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“offer” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #951 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#951
frequency rank, English
5
letters
5
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A proposal that has been made.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

offer vs over
60% similar
offer vs omer
60% similar
offer vs other
60% similar

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

Key facts for offer
PropertyValue
Headwordoffer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɒfə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#951
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “offer” 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). offer 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 offer is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒfə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #951 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for offer, with forms such as "fofer", "ofefr", and "ofer". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "over", "omer", "other", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian (“offer or make a sacrifice”) rather than from Old French offre (“offer”), from offrir (“to offer”), from Latin offerō (“to present, bring before”). Compare North Frisian offer (“sacrifice, donation, fee”)… The correct English form is offer, spelled O-F-F-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A proposal that has been made.
  2. 2
    Something put forth, bid, proffered or tendered.
  3. 3
    An invitation to enter into a binding contract communicated to another party which contains terms sufficiently definite to create an enforceable contract if the other party accepts the invitation.

Etymology

From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian (“offer or make a sacrifice”) rather than from Old French offre (“offer”), from offrir (“to offer”), from Latin offerō (“to present, bring before”). Compare North Frisian offer (“sacrifice, donation, fee”), Dutch offer (“offering, sacrifice”), German Opfer (“victim, sacrifice”), Danish offer (“victim, sacrifice”), Icelandic offr (“offering”). See verb below.

This word in other languages

oferta(Español)offre(Français)Vorschlag(Deutsch)oferta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fofer,ofefr,ofer,offerr,offre

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of offer - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

fofer2ofefr2ofer1offerr1offre2
Edit distance from "offer"

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 "offer"?
"offer" is spelled O-F-F-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒfə(ɹ)/.
What does "offer" mean?
As a noun, "offer" means: A proposal that has been made.
What words are commonly confused with "offer"?
"offer" is commonly confused with "over", "omer", "other". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "offer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "offer" is /ˈɒfə(ɹ)/. 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 "offer"?
From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian (“offer or make a sacrifice”) rather than from Old French offre (“offer”), from offrir (“to offer”), from Latin offerō (“to present, bring before”). Compare North Frisian offer (“sacrifice, donat... 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 “offer”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is O-F-F-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒfə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “over” - see the side-by-side comparison. offer vs over
  • 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